Getting Down to the Facts
by The Moonspinner
Summary: When she got down to the facts she realized one thing. All men were useless,arrogant,egoistic and thrived on domination and she'd be dammed if she fell prey to them.There existed no guy that could convince her otherwise. Not even the intersting Van Fanel.
1. Chapter 1

_**Chapter One:**_

_Boy meets very scary girl…_

_Girl meets crazy boy…_

It was 3pm and school was technically over; yet the place was buzzing.

It wasn't a feature necessarily unique to Azares High, but still pretty odd for a school in northern Gaea. The entire place was filled with students moving to and from various cultural and sports clubs.

Somewhere on the hills and tracks that made up the enormous school two boys sat in somewhat companionable silence.

Well really only one of them was seated with a novel while the other one actually looked quite agitated.

His eyes constantly moved from the football field below to the sky above and frequently to his friend.

Unsurprisingly, and like most stories, the one that looked worried broke the silence…

"Dryden?" A question put forth with a creditable amount of calm.

"Hmmm?"

"You know the Co-President girl?"

"Hitomi?"

The barest of nods was the reply.

"I know her pretty well. Why?"

"Good. Then you can tell me what her deal is?" This was finally said with the touch of frustration one could see he was feeling.

Dryden finally looked up from his book and grinned at Van.

"What did you do?" He asked.

"I didn't do anything." He said while looking down to at the football field. He stared at the players for a minute before saying very slowly "I've been here a month now. It took me three days to have all of you figured out. But Hitomi, she's…"

"Mysterious? Alluring?" Dryden mocked. "Don't go there Van. She isn't your type."

"I wasn't going anywhere…" Van muttered eyes now fixed on the tree his friend was leaning against. A gentle wind blew past as he said with some difficulty "I just want to know what her deal is? She's perfectly nice to everyone… except me."

Dryden laughed now. "Her what?" he asked. "Van, what's _your_ deal? Hitomi is one of the nicest people I know. Come on, she's always laughing about something or the other…"

"Well she isn't nice to me…" he said almost sulkily.

"What do you want me to say? She's secretly attracted to you but doesn't want to admit it? Why do you even care Van? I've known you since… What? Second grade? You were never a gossip… " He sat forward and regarded his friend with some amusement.

"I'm not. I don't even want this to interest me, but it does. And no I don't want you to tell me she's secretly attracted to me…"

He paused and looked at his feet, while saying in the voice of a man who was feeling his way around, "But since we're on the topic of attraction tell me this, why doesn't she ever flirt?"

"Wh- what?" Dryden asked confused.

"I'm not very far from the truth when I say that every seventeen year old flirts. Outrageously most of the time." He was more confident now; sure he'd caught onto something. He crouched on the floor and looked Dryden in the eyes, "Hitomi Kanzakhi **does not flirt." **He told Dryden, with every word emphasized to a maximum. "When she talks to Allen she's cool, with you she's friendly, with Dilandau she's like an older sister and with Amano she's constantly sarcastic and funny or they're insulting each other. But that, contrary to common belief, is not flirting. Every other guy she ever talks to its either the 'cool and calm' or 'I'm a barrel of laughs!'" He ended frowning heavily.

"And when she talk to you?" Dryden asked with a curious expression.

The frown deepened. "It's like she's afraid of me, so constantly on guard. Like she expects me to jump her or something…"

Dryden leaned back against the tree, "Well I have no idea what your point is, but I bet you wanted some sort of dirt."

Van was about to protest, but then realized that it was exactly what he wanted, so he shut up.

"I bet you're expecting something a failed relationship, a dead lover or something that made her swear to never love again or trust men again."

"It would help." The now seated teenager agreed.

"Well, I'm sorry to tell you that I got nothing. And I've known her since I came here. That was in the fifth grade. She's never been in a relationship. And the one time she though she liked someone, we all knew- Yukari was excited, quite understandably-" he explained "and she figured out in like a day that she didn't. And she wasn't even lying. She really didn't. I don't think that helps you, but since you're the one who wants to play psychologist you go figure it out."

Van didn't say anything while getting up. He began to walk away when Dryden caught his arm. Van looked down, eyes questioning.

"While you're at it, you might want to figure out why you're so interested Doc…"

Van gazed down at Dryden for a minute before grinning and shrugging off the grip.

"I told you Fassa. I wasn't going there!" he shouted as he walked away.

"Sure you aren't." Dryden Fassa muttered to himself as he went back to his book.

* * *

Van Fanel had not been boasting when he'd said that he'd taken only three days to get the way his new school worked.

He'd figured out that Merle and Millerna were close friends, though one playful and the other queenly. His almost instant membership to the ranks of their friends, a never ending list it seemed, told him that they were insanely friendly.

One look at Allen and his group had been enough to tell him that Allen Schezar was a playboy to beat all playboys and was currently attempting to steal Millerna from Dryden.

Dryden, the only person Van had known from this motley crew, was an old friend and Van was glad to have him here. Dryden seemed to be perfectly aware of Allen's intentions and seemed not concerned in the least.

Then there was Dilandau. He was everything a rebelling teen was supposed to be. Though no one but him seemed to know what he was rebelling against; his parents had seemed perfectly nice, the teachers at this school rocked when compared to other teachers and he was not a loner who had no friends. Hell, now that Van though about it maybe he didn't know what he was rebelling against either.

Next on his list were Yukari and Amano. They had perfect written all over each other and it made any normal couple want to strangle them. If only she'd been Co-President… It would have been the clichés of all clichés.

But then everything in this school was clichéd. Okay that wasn't fair... or true really. The school wasn't like most when it came to a lot of things. The teachers were one thing, but the people! They were the weirdest part. There were all the usual cliques the arty, the jocks, the perfect grades, the head bangers... They were all there and no one seemed to give a damn. No one was defined by their interests! Well not in a major way anyway. It was all very good Van supposed, but it did take some serious getting used too.

Anyway where was he? Oh yeah the last on his list of people he needed figured out. Didn't look like that was going to happen any time soon though…

Hitomi Kanzakhi gave reason to invent a word: one that described whole new levels of complexity.

She had returned to school three days late and Van realized just how wrong he'd gotten it all... but only when she was around. When she was around Allen became reasonable, Yukari turned form serious to giggly and almost empty headed. Amano the already talkative Student Council President became even more talkative and was constantly arguing with his female counterpart. Dilandau stopped acting like a spoilt, rebellious teen and Dryden… Well he didn't know what it was, but she even affected Dryden.

This wasn't the meek Co-president he had been expecting. When Hitomi Kanzakhi wanted to be noticed, she got noticed.

She played basketball, apparently quit track, but she'd been an amazing sprinter and was now good at basketball. She was good student when she wanted to be, worked closely with the art and theatre clubs, she and Amano had led a team of eight other students and planned an entire graduation party for their seniors, most of teachers liked her, the juniors liked her… Everyone liked her.

And yet there was something odd about her. Like if you were to mention her amongst people who weren't great friends with her, they had no complaints, but otherwise she was sort of forgotten. Even among her friends sometimes… She was there and like he'd said before got attention when she wanted but never otherwise.

And no one hated her! Seriously. Either they didn't think of her a lot or if they got angry with her they just talked it out with her… why? Because on top of it all she was apparently a good listener…

And she terrified him.

After about two days of going around with this terror Van made _'the discovery'_.

You know the one that let Newton figure out gravity, made sure Vespuci figured out America was America and apparently the one that made him realize why Hitomi Kanzakhi scared, amused and irritated him.

It was a strange discovery. And here it was: this great girl, pretty enough with legs that went on forever and who seemed to have it all… didn't. She didn't have a boyfriend.

That he supposed was his real problem. Even if her strange perfection hadn't been a problem her availability was.

And of course there was the way she turned hostile the moment she saw him.

But then again maybe she'd noticed his curiosity and gotten irritated.

He hadn't meant to do it but he had started watching her, casually first and then more intensely. He noticed so many things. Like the fact that though Hitomi was a friendly person, she never talked about her family in more than a joking way. There were long and hilarious stories involving her mother and a frying pan aimed at her father but never any complaints. Though the stories seemed personal… they weren't. They glossed over what her parents were really like… they were sort of like substitutions for real stories. Carefully planned stories meant to satisfy.

Then suddenly he'd started to notice how in between conversations, her smile would slip from her face and her eyes would lose lustre But for only a moment. Then it was all back up, like an automatic defence system.

She was like someone in a never-ending play, constantly reacting to cues as expected. Why anybody did that to themselves he didn't know. But for some strange reason Van cared enough to want to help.

He sighed now. Why couldn't he just leave it alone? Of course she was hostile. He was no better than a creepy stalker. But he felt drawn to her. Not the way Dryden thought! He just had this feeling that he was supposed to help her out.

Trying to forget it for the moment he walked out of school. The wind was picking up and he pulled his blue jacket on properly before starting up the pavement.

He was half a kilometre from school when something on the opposite side of the street caught his attention. The object his curiosity being pulled under a tree by… Who was it? Oh the art guy… Shou?

A cyclist swerved to avoid a careless crosser in a blue jacket and turned around to see the idiot duck behind a car. He shook his head and cycled on.

Van had edged closer to the tree using the fact that they were facing the other direction to his advantage.

He ducked behind a parked car a few meters away from them and thought how likely it was that he'd have a restraining order against him by the end of the week.

"Shou…?" She asked in her softest voice.

"Hitomi, how long have you known me?" the other boy asked without any preamble.

"Eight years." She replied.

"We've always been friends right?"

She laughed warmly, "Of course we have. Let me guess you want a favour? What is it?"

Van saw Shou shake his head, "No. It's not a favour. Hitomi… you can't be this dense can you? I mean haven't you ever wondered why I'm always calling you about some mundane art project? Or why when you wanted to be picked up from another bloody town at 2 in the morning I rushed there?"

She was silent. Van moved a little to try to get a view of her face but the shadows made it hard to tell if she'd understood or not? The guy was telling her he loved her.

'Tell him you love him too and make my life easier!' He found himself trying to make her think along those lines.

"Shou… you know that I can't." she began.

Okay. So he didn't have any telekinetic powers. What else was new?

"No Hitomi I don't! You've never liked anyone, but we've always been close. Not as close as you and Amano, but as close as we could be. You like me don't you…?"

"Of course I do… but not like that… not enough. And trust me, I'm not closer to Amano." She said firmly, "We've known each other longer Shou. But we wouldn't suit Shou. You don't know it but I'm stubborn and bossy… "

He laughed and took her hand "I know. Believe me I know. But I've never minded."

There was silence and Van suddenly found himself thinking in a completely new direction.

'Don't just say yes to make him happy you idiot!' he exclaimed. 'Let go of his hand and tell him you don't love him.'

She let go of his hand and told him in a voice so soft Van couldn't hear it. But from her expression and Shou's face he knew she'd said it.

She'd said 'I don't love you Shou.' And she'd broken her friends heart.

He stood there for a minute and said in a light voice, "At least I tried." He bent down and kissed her on the forehead, "The always elusive Miss Kanzakhi. Well I hope I'm the last in your list of no's Hitomi."

She shook her head and suddenly Van noticed that the other hand was on her side and was balled into a fist. Even her stance, it was rigid. Had she been standing like that all the time or right after he'd kissed her?

"All right if you say so. Come on, let's go."

"No you go." she said in an oddly strained voice. "I need a moment okay?"

"All right Hitomi." And he walked out.

The moment he disappeared around the corner she collapsed against the tree. She was totally still for a minute and Van was about to check on her when she pushed herself off the bark turned to it muttering something the whole time.

About to creep away he looked up to make sure she wouldn't see him and his eyes widened.

Hitomi Kanzakhi, Co-President of the student council and the nicest girl in school punch the tree so hard that he thought he heard the sound of bone breaking. She kept the fist there a minute and then without even a look at her knuckles she walked of, body sill rigid and fists by her side.

Van waited a moment before walking to the tree and casually looking at the punched region. Well nothing had happened except that some of the flaky bark had flaked off. And there was a speckle of blood on the newly revealed white region.

He looked in the direction she had gone and blanched visibly.

Things had just gotten so much more complicated…

* * *

She shouldn't have punched the tree… the tree hadn't done anything.

Oh hell! She was such an idiot. She'd let Van Fanel watch her punch a tree. She'd noticed him only after she'd punched it, which was why she hadn't been able to yelp in pain. She was pretty dammed surprised to see the idiot's head looking at her from behind a car.

She was about to take the same corner Shou had taken but she turned and saw him standing there, looking at the tree. Dam it! She should confront him. Why was he following her around and spying on her? What was his problem?!

She felt an anger bubbling inside her. How dare he intrude and listen to a very private conversation?! How dare he!

She was taken over by the uncontrollable urge to go yell at him, so she marched back. He saw her now and… paled?

"Fanel!" she barked. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

He gulped but said in a weak attempt at humour, "Checking on the tree?"

She dropped the bag she'd been carrying onto the floor. "I'm give you 5 seconds to explain." she told him.

Van was momentarily at a loss, but of course only momentarily.

"I can't explain…" he started slowly. "Becau… because I need to get this last thing clarified. Tomorrow… yeah tomorrow right after your morning training I'll explain."

Firsts he felt slightly scared. How the hell did he know she had training? Then she felt bewildered. Was she going to listen to him?

She threw him a dirty look picked up her bag and said, "Just forget it Fanel. You're obviously just on very heavy medication."

"Yeah…" he said absently.

She snorted and walked away.

"Wait. Actually I have a question."

"What?" she asked while still walking.

"Are you lesbian?"

She stopped walking and turned around.

"What!?" she asked, impatience obvious.

Taken aback at her lack of anger he stuttered, "I… I asked if you were lesbian?"

She gave him a lord hard look and shook her head as if she couldn't believe what she was doing and turned back and started walking.

"Tomorrow after morning practise Fanel."


	2. Chapter 2

I know it's taken me long enough. Let this suffice: School, exams, culturals, wedding, basketball, another wedding, more culturals, another set of exams and finally debate. I'm sooooo sorry. And Btw, Pirates won't be updated for a while longer, I'm really sorry but I just don't have the time. :(

Thank you for the reviews, Suils Saifir, thepinkmartini, Maffy, BlackMagicWhiteMagic, Niffer and mystic mizu!

LLL

M.S.

* * *

**_Disclaimer:_** I do not own Escaflowne.

* * *

**_Chapter Two_**

Hitomi watched her teammates head for the changing rooms and did not bother holding back a sigh. There was no question about it.

She had officially lost it.

She walked over to the bleachers and sat down in her quiet way praying the idiot would come quickly… the last thing she needed was coach walking in on their little talk.

Her hand dipped into her bag and she pulled out her phone.

8:05.

He was late. A contemptuous smile formed on her lips, how like a man… she thought to herself.

"That doesn't make you look very pretty."

She jumped up and turned. Van was leaning against the side of the bleachers and giving her an odd smile.

"How long have you been there?" she demanded.

He moved into the light as he answered. "Since about 7:45. I caught the last bit of your game."

"Oh." She muttered and fumbled with her bag, not knowing what to say. He had been on time… No. Not on time. He had been early.

They stood like that for a full minute, her messing around with her bag and him looking at her with a curious expression.

What was she going to do next? He couldn't help but wondering.

She looked up and noticed the expression.

Her head tilted slightly and then straightened, something she did when she was irritated.

"Why do you always look at me like I'm some new species of bacteria?" was the question she threw at him.

"Well a bacteria isn't how I'd put it..." he drawled. "More a type of fungus…"

She opened her mouth to retort rudely, but he stopped her by raising his hands and saying, "Truce. Truce!" He was grinning now, and she realized how easily she had been baited.

She slung her bag onto her shoulders and looked at him with an almost sulky expression. Her forehead was furrowed and she looked like she was about to ask him something.

He was now leaning against the bleachers and looking very smug. "I have you all figured out Kanzakhi." He told her.

She bit back her question and narrowed her eyes dangerously.

"Yes?"

"Hitomi Kanzakhi." He pointed at her with theatrical flourish. "You hate boys!" he announced with a triumphant look.

He looked so pleased with himself that it took her a lot of effort to do what she did instead of slapping him across the cheek and telling him to stop acting like a candy hopped, maniacal four year old.

Instead she looked at him blankly for a moment before bursting into laughter.

"Oh! Laugh it up! You know its true!" The black haired boy told her quietly.

She stopped laughing and looked at him curiously. "What makes you say that Fanel?" She was in truth feeling annoyed, but she wasn't about to let him know she had been affected in the slightest by his accusation.

"You really need proof?" he asked. Did this woman ever break, he wondered. A little emotion beyond cool, calm and collected would be appreciated.

Most women could barely contain most emotions; this one could barely show any. Annoyance, anger and amusement were all she seemed capable of expressing. Oh, and disdain of course.

"Definitely." She retorted. "And if I hated boys would Dryden or Amano or any of the others really be my friends? Wouldn't they have picked up on the fact that I probably want to rip their heads off? And what happened to your lesbian theory."

He frowned, "Oh…that." He scratched the back of his head and looked a little ashamed. "I didn't really mean it. It was just something that popped into my head."

She snorted before saying, "And your answer to my other question?"

"What? Oh yeah… the not ripping their heads off bit." He looked thoughtful. "Okay. Maybe I didn't word it right… You don't hate them. You resent them!"

She sighed, "All right. Lets say I do. What does it matter?"

He paused for a moment, slightly stunned that she had admitted it so casually.

He mentioned this a moment later.

"I didn't say I did." She pointed out. "I said, 'Lets say I did'. It's purely hypothetical."

He frowned and nodded. "All right then. Hypothetically you shouldn't resent us."

"Why not?" she asked.

"Well…" he trailed off trying to think of a good reason.

She waited silently.

He looked up and said quietly, "Because its stupid. Why spend all your time resenting someone? I mean there are so many other things you could do with all that emotion and energy."

"Fanel." She said firmly, "_If_ I resented guys, something not yet confirmed, there would be a reason right? And it would probably be a good one. One that would not be forgotten or discarded because some guy I barely know tells me that there are better things to do with my energy." Towards the end of her speech, her eyes had gone cold and her voice flat.

She looked at him with those same cold eyes and said once again, "All of this being hypothetical of course."

He eyed her thoughtfully and nodded. She was angry. He wasn't scared like before. Her anger did bring out a strange emotion in him, but it wasn't fear. It was worry. He was worried about this girl he barely knew. And why? Well because she had a few quirks.

All right not quirks, but that was exactly what worried him… they weren't really normal quirks. They were an honest to God lack of human feeling.

She was picking up the bag she had left on the bleachers and about to walk past him when he caught her by the arm.

"Hitomi." He said softly.

He ignored the glowering look that told him to let go of her arm and said with strange gentleness, "Everything you said just now is true. There is probably a good reason. And I understand that there are things you can't tell me or anyone else. But if you need someone to talk to because of whatever… you can try talking to me."

She stared at him for a minute, "I barely know you." She stated coldly, but her eyes had softened just a little.

He grimaced, "Well that will undoubtedly change soon enough…"

She asked him what the hell he meant.

He just shook his head and muttered something about not wanting to be around when she found out.

She shook her arm free and gave him a glare that would strike fear into the hearts of most men. He would love to say that he wasn't like most men. Woefully he was. He quickly moved away from her and said nothing in reply to her parting insult.

He walked away silently praying that Mr. Tsuruga had health insurance.

Hitomi, meanwhile, leaned against a locker, waiting for a shower stall to empty. She could talk to him, huh? She smiled a strained smile. She doubted it. She couldn't even talk to Yukari about it…

But then again, he had figured out in a few weeks what nobody had in years.

She resented men.

She wondered why she had agreed to meet him. She did not want him confirming his suspicions… it was undoubtedly the lesbian comment. She had meant to push it further, freak him out a bit, but the entire 'I have you all figured out…" accompanied by that strangely attractive smirk had gotten her riled up.

She frowned then. It was not attractive. It was the smile of a too self-assured teenage boy.

He was such an… idiot. He really was. He had broken the track record. The track record it had taken Amano and her forever to get. Her track record! And he had beaten it after a week on the team… and he hadn't even known it until a half stunned Yukari, had told him.

She had been furious. When she had heard she'd had half a mind to throw restraint into the air and go back to training and beat his record.

She had left the track teaming last year feeling that she would at least leave the school with the record unbeaten. Now the idiot had ruined that too…

With a slight smile she remembered congratulating him. He had grinned apologetically and said softly, only for her to hear, "I'm sorry. We'll run it out."

She had shaken her head and smiled carelessly, pretending that she could not care less. Yukari had known better and moved her out of the new kids vicinity fast.

"Hitomi! Showers free!" one of her teammates yelled.

"Hai." She answered, getting up slowly, her usually made up mind very confused. She had been angry with him right? Why was she smiling now then? No! She told herself. She'd been angry with him. Definitely.

She walked off forcefully ignoring the part of her mind that told her that she had been just a little touched by his suggestion.

* * *

"You're what?" she nearly screeched.

Yukari winced visibly.

"Calm down…" she said.

Hitomi and her were right of the chemistry lab. The teacher, a woman half deaf, supposedly from an explosion Hitomi's brother had caused, took no notice.

Hitomi had walked into the lab to tell Yukari about a change in the evening plans. That's when her best friend had dropped the bomb.

Yukari was quitting the arts club. Which meant that Hitomi no longer had a partner. Which meant that she needed to find a partner for her assignment. Which meant that Mr. Tsuruga had paired her up with the only person left…

"Fanel!" she hissed dangerously.

Yukari gulped visible and said, "He's not all bad."

Hitomi turned on her, "You DON'T speak. Got it? I can't believe Mr. Tsuruga let you drop out."

Yukari stayed silent.

Her friend left the lab, muttering to herself the whole way out and then the whole way to her maths class.

She walked in and saw that the class was in chaos, usually associated with the lack of a teacher.

She sighed and made her way to the back, ignoring two people she did not want to speak to…

One was Amano, who would obviously try to convince her to join him in his efforts to beat Fanel.

She looked up from her shoes and realized that the other had just plonked herself on her desk.

"Tomi!!!" the red haired girl squealed.

"Merle, please don't call me that and certainly not in that pitch. You're nearing the frequency bats use."

The red haired girl continued smiling, "Someone's in a bad mood isn't she?"

Hitomi was about to deny this but the small, hyper insane girl in front of her continued, "Well I know something that'll make you happy!"

"What?" Hitomi asked suspiciously.

"Paaaaaaartyyyyyyyyyyyyy!!!" she squealed.

Hitomi clamped her hand over Merle's mouth and said pleadingly, "When I let go, please use a voice that won't cause partial hearing impairment to most of the people here…"

A nod.

Hitomi moved her hand. "Okay. Now tell me… what party? Where?"

The girl jumped of the table and stood facing Hitomi. "Millerna's party of course! And it's at her beach house…"

Hitomi made a suffocated noise.

Merle, completely disregarding this lack of pleasure continued with a happy nod. "Yup! And a bonfire after swimming and beach volleyball! It'll be great! Right?"

Hitomi nodded painstakingly, but she might as well have not bothered, the red haired monster went on and on about how it would be great since the weather was so perfect and something about a new suit that matched her new sandals.

Hitomi managed to shut her up only by asking whom all were coming.

"Oh! Everybody of course!" she said swinging her hands up and backward hitting some unsuspecting kid.

"So tell Yukari okay?" and she moved off without waiting for a reply and as usual leaving a path of disaster behind her.

* * *

Dryden and Amano sat facing each other in what could only be described as a desperate attempt to stare each other down.

Finally Amano gave in and looked away.

"Yeess!" Dryden yelled, punching his fist into the air, "I win!"

Dilandau stood behind them and grinned lazily, "Don't celebrate yet Fassa. You're prize may not agree…"

Dryden turned to look at him, "Why not? Hitomi loves me!"

Dilandau restrained himself from commenting and said instead, "Yeah… but she told me she sucks at volleyball."

Dryden looked shocked and turned to Amano. "You dog! You knew that didn't you…"

Amano looked smug, Yukari had mentioned something about how Hitomi had said she sucked at volleyball, "Hey, you're the one who suggested fighting for her. Now since you have Hitomi, I get Merle."

"No fair!" Dryden whined. "You cheated!"

"All's fair in love and volleyball…" Amano chuckled as he got up.

Allen another spectator to this battle chuckled. "I'll be on your team Fassa. You'll need me."

Dryden looked unconcerned and shrugged, "Sure." But his eyes locked onto the playboys.

Dilandau took a step back and Amano was trying to figure out a way to break it up.

The two of them could not have been gladder when an unsuspecting Van walked in.

"Van." Amano said a little too loudly.

The other two broke of the death glares they were sending and looked at Van.

He stood there hands in his pockets and raised his eyebrows.

"What?"

"You're coming today right?" Amano asked.

Van nodded, perplexed. He'd told him so just an hour ago.

"Do you play any volleyball?" Allen asked, his posture relaxing and his eyes becoming friendly again.

"Not very well…" he started.

"Okay Van." Dryden started. "I know you're my friend, but you're on Amano's team."

Amano started to protest, but Allen said, "Its only fair. We have Hitomi, you get Van."

Amano sighed in defeat and said, "Well maybe we can keep you on the bench."

Van shrugged, "Sure. I don't mind."

Amano walked out muttering something about losing the perfect team.

"Don't hold it to him." Dilandau said. "He's very competitive."

"I guessed as much." Van muttered. A little louder he asked whether Yukari's body had been found.

They all looked at him confused.

"I just saw her a while back." Allen told him.

"Well that probably means she hasn't told Hitomi yet."

Dilandau sent him a suspicious look, "Told her what?"

"That I'm Hitomi's new arts partner."

Dryden started laughing and said, "Van. Get over this thing that she hates you. She doesn't. I swear."

Allen grinned too, but Dilandau looked out of the window wordlessly.

Van let out a small smile, "Dilandau knows better." He said.

Dilandau looked alarmed and then growled, "Shut up. I have no idea."

Van made a gesture that said, 'Forgive me' with a grin on his face, but told himself to make sure to get Dilandau… alone.

* * *

Yukari was sprawled on Hitomi's bed and watched through half open eyes as Hitomi ran around the room in her usual last minute hurry to find her things.

"You are sooo organized otherwise…" Yukari told her. "Why does your room have to look like a tornado passed through it?"

Hitomi rushed past her again. "I haven't had a chance to clean it since Tuesday all right. And you know that if I don't clean it every other day it becomes like this!"

Yukari made a disapproving sound, "Well why don't you clean it every other day? Tuesday was five days ago."

Hitomi stopped for minute and looked apologetic, "I got too lazy." She admitted sheepishly.

Yukari propped herself up on her elbows and stared at her friend with a mischievous smile. "What would Ryo say darling?"

Hitomi stopped outside her bathroom door and turned to give her friend a dirty look. "He'd probably not care." She replied before quickly disappearing inside the bathroom and slamming the door shut.

Yukari raised her voice, "Come now Hitomi. He always cares…" her smile turned from mischievous to positively evil. "… When it comes to you that is."

From inside the bathroom she heard a thump followed by a few curses

The bathroom door flew open and Hitomi stood there, jeans pulled over her bathing suit and hair an utter mess.

"Hitomi!" Yukari screeched. "You're wearing a one-piece? It's completely antiquated!!"

Hitomi looked down at her suit and felt defensive, "What do you mean it's antiquated? I bought it just a few months ago!"

Yukari rushed forward, "Darling!" she said giving her a hug, "I do love you, but you are hopeless."

Hitomi rolled her eyes, "Will you stop saying darling like you're freaking Catherine Hepburn! Just go and wear your swimsuit!"

With that she stomped past Yukari and began rushing around again searching frantically for a duffle bag she swore she seen just a minute ago.

Yukari giggled quietly as she changed, but a sudden thought crossed her mind. Ryo… Ryo wouldn't come here today would he? No. He was still undoubtedly at his school... engrossed in his work.

She remembered the way Ryo and Hitomi had met. Hitomi had whacked him with her grocery bags because she thought he was stealing her brothers then girlfriends bag.

Hitomi had then whacked Yukari with the grocery bag and said that it had been all Yukari's fault for not telling her that it had been her cousin.

Yukari had later joked that for Ryo, the moment he had turned and seen her there, hair a mess, papers spilling out of her backpack, yelling at him and calling him a low life, he had fallen for her.

He thought she was perfect… And Hitomi thought he was crazy.

Yukari giggled outright now. Another memory crossed her mind. Hitomi really was evil. She had become so skilled at avoiding Yukari's cousin that he had to tell her outright that he was interested. To which Hitomi had replied in a very bored voice, "I'm pregnant. Amano's the father." And walked away.

It had taken Yukari weeks to convince Ryo that she had been joking. He had gone into near decline.

Hitomi took to stuffing pillows under her shirt every time she saw Ryo, causing him shocks that Yukari was convinced would be the end of him.

That girl could be cruel sometimes.

Yukari sighed as she opened the door.

But then in a moment the smile was back, and she yelled, "Hitomi, Amano asks how his kid's doing?"

The smile grew wider as a pillow came flying at her.

* * *


	3. Chapter 3

Sorry. I am being a lazy idiot. It took me this long for this chapter because every time I sat down to write I ended up reading too many fanfics. Read, enjoy and please feel free to ask me about the chapters.

LLL

M.S.

_**

* * *

**__**For Nix. The waves do get bigger honey. **_

* * *

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Escaflowne.

****

* * *

**_Chapter Three_**

As Hitomi stepped out of the car and onto the beach, she smiled despite her promise to hate every moment of the evening. Merle had been right. The weather was perfect.

The sun shined bright, but not too brightly. A cool breeze carried along the strong, bracing smell you learnt to associate with the ocean and waves crashed gently against the coast making it what Yukari called a _'Film Paysage.'_ The French might be dreadful, but it was a pretty good description.

The view lost its touch _just_ about the moment rogue volleyball hit Hitomi in the face. She rubbed her nose and sighed. Of course… once over fifty teenagers had been let loose, all semblance of a peaceful picture were gone. Umbrellas pitched up, mats rolled out and body after body dove into the blue water.

Under the shade of very tall umbrella, someone was roasting hamburgers on the giant grill. Hitomi could have sworn that she had seen that grill at every party since she had entered the ninth grade. How they got the monstrosity there, Hitomi would never know.

"Oy! Hitomi!" Dryden called to her waving frantically.

"What is it?"

"Stop standing there like a dysfunctional robot and come help me fix the nets!"

She gave him a deadly look that he shrugged off.

"They don't work on me any more Hitomi!" he laughed. He gulped then… well not really anyway.

"You can't have her yet Dryden. We have to change!"

Dryden grinned mischievously, "Of course. You think I wanted you to help in that!"

Hitomi watched as a large bucket, the type you used to build castles flew towards Dryden.

He avoided it easily enough and chided his girlfriend, "No need to be so violent Millerna dear."

Hitomi and Yukari walked towards the comfortable looking house that stood a good distance form the area picked out for the party. Millerna's parents had built it a few years ago and ever since then any summer party worth mentioning had been in it.

As they walked into the house Yukari noted how boring their lives would be without Dryden and Millerna.

Hitomi agreed. Their constant bickering, well Millerna's constant bickering and Dryden's charming ability to let everything bounce of his very thick armour, always provided so much entertainment.

The nets had been set up by the time they got back to the beach. Yukari let out a sound of relief and went to join Millerna, who sat under an umbrella watching her boyfriend with hawk eyes, waiting for him to do something _'Whack Worthy'_.

Hitomi walked toward the court and plonked down near Dilandau.

"I see you're in a good mood." Dilandau said, noticing her smile.

"Well even I can't hate this!" she said gesturing to the land around them. "It's just so perfect."

Dilandau grinned, "I wonder how long this good mood is going to last?"

She had closed her eyes and was ignoring him. "When will they start?" she asked a minute later.

Dilandau who had been watching her with an odd look on his face, chuckled quietly. "About now I guess. Amano's here. With Van."

Hitomi's eyes snapped open and she turned to look at the two. They were both unloading something from Amano's car.

She shuddered and turned back quickly, "So, are you playing?"

"I'm on Amano's team." He replied his usual grin quickly replacing the odd look.

But she caught the look this time and laughed, "Well don't look so sad. I promise I won't make you beg when I kick your ass at volleyball."

"What?" He was thrown totally off balance. "You told me you sucked at this game."

Hitomi grinned, "I do… I suck compared to the school team."

Dilandau swallowed. "But the school team isn't all that bad…"

"Yeah. So I suck when compared to them… But you guys… you'll be easy. I think we should be finished in half an hour or so."

With that she got up, bounced of happily and Dilandau couldn't be too sure, but he thought he heard a smug, but evil cackle. Hitomi never lied… Well almost never. And she never lost. Dilandau watched her go with a feeling of deep-rooted terror... for Amano that is. It looked like he was going to be eating dirt… lots of it.

* * *

Amano watched with horror, as Hitomi got ready to serve. Would she ever stop?

Dryden was standing right in front of him, gloating, not in the least concerned that he had so far done nothing to help his team other than accidentally get Hitomi.

They were up by eight points. Gaddess, Amano and Merle were exhausted with all the running around they had been doing. And the one substitute they had, Van, who admitted to not being able to play well was not particularly bothered with the game.

Millerna who usually had a killer serve had managed to hit her boyfriend twice, even though they were on the same team. She later told Hitomi that no one contributing so little to a team and the world in general should be allowed to be that smug.

"Amano!" Merle said. "I feel dead. Just let me off and use Van. He can't be that bad!"

Amano just managed to keep himself from screaming in frustration and called out, "Change! Merle out, Van in!"

Merle walked off and Van turned in surprise. "Amano… I told you I'm not all that great."

"At least you can play." Dilandau told him, "Just get in here!"

Van stared at them for a minute and then looked at Dryden who was on the other team. Dryden shrugged, but couldn't help but grinning. Van really wasn't all that bad, but against Millerna and Hitomi he didn't stand much of a chance.

Van walked onto the temporary court with reluctance and stood there, waiting further instructions.

"It's their serve and you're in the third position. Hitomi's serving so watch it."

Van nodded with a gulp.

On the other side of the nets Hitomi was feeling drained, but when she saw who had walked onto the court she decided to play for just a little longer. They needed four more points anyway.

She bounced the ball once and shouted, "Ready Amano?"

A grim nod was all the answer she got.

She threw the ball up and jumped into the air to whack it down onto the other side of the net…

…Right into Van. 'What a shot!' she thought exultantly as she watched him fall back with a "Oomph!

Everybody looked at Van for a whole minute before bursting into laughter, but Dilandau moved towards Van and frowned at Hitomi.

"What the hell did she do that for?" he muttered as he helped Van up.

If Van heard him, he gave no sign of it and simply grimaced.

Hitomi smiled and said, "Point. 22-12. My service."

Amano stood there with a mournful expression and said, "See what I mean. Next time you'd better hit it with your hands."

Van frowned, "Don't worry. It won't happen again."

He threw the ball back to Hitomi with a little more force than intended.

She caught it and looked at him speculatively.

Was this a challenge?

"Dryden… Shall we make this interesting?" she asked.

Dryden who had not failed to notice the grim look Van had or the spark in Hitomi's eyes swallowed. "I don't think that's a good idea Hitomi…"

"Don't be an old woman Dryden!" his girlfriend interjected. "I agree with Hitomi. Lets have a bet. Losers buy winners dinner tomorrow." She turned to Amano, "What do you say?"

Amano looked hesitant, but it was Van who answered, "Of course. We agree. And winning team chooses the restaurant."

"Van…" Dilandau said desperately. What was the idiot doing? They'd all go broke.

"Deal!" Hitomi answered happily.

"Well let's shake on it." Allen suggested from his place behind Dryden. He had a lazy smile on his face. "Go on. Hitomi and Van. Since you made the bet, shake on it."

Hitomi bounced forward and held her hand out. Van walked towards her and took her hand in a strong grip. The shake was not more that a second long, but in that shake they both realised something about each other.

Hitomi grinned and so did Van.

They both hated to lose.

* * *

Yukari watched from a distance as the game progressed. It was some sort of penalty round. Each team had 12 serves. The one that made the most points won.

She shook her head. Really Hitomi had to stop being so competitive.

She smirked as she watched. Yukari would bet her boyfriend that Hitomi was cursing right now. The volleyball inept Van had saved one of Millerna's serves... and one of Hitomi's.

The score, kept by an anxious Merle, was 4/6 and 5/6 with Dryden's team in the lead. Each team had exactly 6 serves left to try to win the game.

Yukari moved closer to watch.

Gaddess was serving now.

She watched as he threw the ball into the air and tried to spike it down hard into the other teams court. Millerna deftly bumped the ball back onto the their court.

Amano cursed inwardly but passed the ball to Dilandau.

Hitomi caught Dilandau's eye and smiled slightly as he grinned at her, his entire manner showing her how unconcerned he was. He was pretty good and she wouldn't be surprised if he got his team a point. But his manner told her that he thought she was being way too serious about it.

"This ones for you Hitomi." He called.

She grinned now and nodded to Yunoki another teammate. He nodded back nervously and got ready.

Once again Yukari saw the ball go into the air and then heard a loud whack. She watched the ball and shook her head. It was a trap set. It was way to close to the net.

Hitomi seemed to think the same thing because she didn't bother moving forward and when Dryden flew past her in an attempt to meet the ball in time she was about to call out at how unnecessary it was. At that moment the ball flew past the net, past Dryden's outstretched hands and hit her leg.

She stood there for a moment and looked at the ball. She looked up with surprise written all over her face.

"Dilandau…" Millerna started, "What the hell! Since when did you play that well?"

Dilandau grinned, but was still looking at Hitomi. "It was a once in a life time thing. Adrenalin rush and all that."

Hitomi shook her head in disbelief and picked up the ball. "Well, 5/7 and 6/7. Our service. Allen."

Yukari was right besides Merle now and said, "Dear God she's pissed. What the hell did that kid do to her?"

Merle frowned, "Who? Dilandau?"

Yukari rolled her eyes, "No you idiot. Van."

Merle suddenly smiled. "I don't think he did much. And even if he did, why the hell would she mind? Look at him!"

Yukari grinned appreciatively, but said nothing.

Van was staring at Allen now, his mind totally blank of anything else but winning.

He saw the ball flying right at him and smiled almost evilly. This was just too easy.

He leaned forward at shot it over the net.

Hitomi watched him with no pleasure. That was 6/8. If they made their shot they would be even.

It was Amano's turn and she groaned when Yunoki failed to meet he ball.

"6/8. Even score." She called, her voice only slightly frustrated. "My service."

Van saw her get ready to serve and wondered why he had agreed to this.

Hitomi rolled the ball between her hands, her eyes fixed on Van, judging how much time it would take him to see the ball if she served a sky.

She shook her head. No even if he didn't Dilandau would get to it. She would have to try something else.

Amano watched her set the ball in motion and then felt it go above his head before he could react. He turned and saw it land clean inside the court in the farthest left hand corner.

"Yes!" Hitomi said raising her arms and waving them about wildly. "6/8 and 7/9. Your service."

Yukari watched the game and saw the score progress rapidly. Soon it was 10/12 for Hitomi and 9/11 for Amano... well Van. It was Van's shot. If he made it, it would be a draw. Dryden and Amano had already established this fact ignoring Hitomi's protests and Millerna's suggestions of a tiebreaker.

Van shrugged when Merle told him to kill them and stood at the serving line for a whole minute before serving.

He knew nothing about volleyball strategy, but it seemed obvious to him that their right flank was weak. It was a thin margin to aim for, but it was the only place far enough from Hitomi to be safe. Yunoki and Aki were both pretty weak, and Miguel was only a little better. Millerna might reach the place but the ball would be low enough for her to not be able to hit it.

So he served.

He watched the ball fly to the intended line and felt relief as it went low enough for him to feel safe.

He turned to tell Merle to start the celebrations when he heard the loud bump of the volleyball. Far too loud since it was supposed to be on the other side of the court.

He spun around and saw Amano looking at the ball with an exasperated expression.

His mind couldn't process what had happened. His gaze moved to the area where the ball should have been and saw Hitomi lying there with a triumphant look on her face and her hands out stretched.

She had hit it…

* * *

Dilandau watched with amusement as Hitomi and Millerna danced around the campfire singing randomly and making fun of Amano.

Dryden was twirling Merle around and around until they both fell to the floor, dizzy and laughing their heads off.

"They all look like they're high don't they?" an amused voice asked from behind him.

He turned his head to look at Van and then smirked, "They are." He replied.

Van smirked too and for a minute they both stood there looking at the crazy people near the bonfire and… well smirking.

"Oy! The two of you!" Merle hollered. "Come over here!"

"What for?" Dilandau asked.

"She wants food." Millerna shouted. "And so does Hitomi. Be nice and go and get some."

Almost immediately they both turned and walked towards the grill.

It must have been five minutes later that Dilandau, while piling a plate with food, asked casually, too casually according to Van, "So when are you going to ask her out?"

Van, not missing a beat, said quickly, "You've been listening to Dryden."

"And Yukari."

Van made a face, "What does she know?"

"Are they right?" Dilandau asked.

"Nope." Van said, "As wrong as ever. I'm not interested in her."

Dilandau looked sceptical and Van scowled, "Look. Seriously. I'm NOT interested in her like that! It's more a scientific interest."

Dilandau looked baffled and then outraged. "Scientific!? Like she's an _experiment_?!" The last word he growled out and took a menacing step towards Van.

"Whoa!" Van dropped the paper plate in surprise and held his hands up. "I didn't mean it like that!"

Dilandau narrowed his eyes, "You'd better have not …"

Van, immensely glad that he was not going to be punched, sighed and picked up another plate. He shot a covert glance at Dilandau before asking in a light tone, "You've been friends for a long time?"

"Since the eighth grade." Dilandau shrugged. "That's when I transferred here."

"And the rest?"

Dilandau shrugged again. "They were all Hitomi's friends, so they rather unwillingly adopted me."

He saw the confused look on Van's face and laughed, "No. At that time" he explained. "At that time they adopted me unwillingly. I was a stray, and Hitomi picked me up. So they adopted me and I adopted them."

Van refrained from saying what he wanted to. Basically Dilandau had dealt with people he hadn't liked for Hitomi.

Instead he asked quite casually, "So tell me what is it about me that she hates?"

Dilandau frowned, "I already told you, I don't know."

"Ahh… but you do. Or at least you have an idea."

Dilandau began walking away, but Van caught up with him, "All right… don't tell me. I'll just bug her until she does."

Dilandau growled in frustration, "If you're this much of a stubborn pain around her, you have your answer right there."

"Some people find it charming." Van said by way of reply.

Dilandau grunted.

Silence…

For a few seconds…

Then a few more…

And some more…

"So… will you tell me?"

Dilandau came to a halt, his stance frustrated. "Look I don't know!" he near yelled. "Maybe it's that you always end up where she is or just because you're an annoying pain in the ass Fanel!" He paused for a breath. "Hitomi is a very private person, all right. Yukari is supposed to be her best friend and I'm pretty sure that there's stuff _she _doesn't know about Hitomi. And Yukari knows she doesn't know. _But_ she isn't a pain about."

Dilandau didn't add 'Like some people' but Van could hear it in his voice.

"None of us are." Dilandau continued. "We let it go, because… because… because it's whatever Van. After a point it's someone else's business, no matter how much you love a person. And I don't get why you can't see that. You claim you aren't romantically interested? Then back off!"

Van watched Dilandau stomp off and hung back for a few minutes before following him.

As he reached the bonfire he was not surprised to see everyone dive for a plate of food. He was even less surprised that the bringer of that plate was nowhere in sight.

* * *

Hitomi noticed Dilandau stalk off after delivering the food. Her eyes darted from fast disappearing food to fast disappearing friend for a whole minute before she got up and followed him.

"Oy!" she yelled, "Wait up."

He paused and she saw his body go very tense.

"Dilandau?" she asked as he reached him. "What happened?"

He turned to look at her and shook his head.

"Then why do you look like you want to beat me up?" she asked.

Almost immediately he relaxed and apologized.

She shrugged and said that it was okay. "But what did I do?" she asked.

"It wasn't you. It's that pain in the ass…"

"…Fanel." She finished grinning. "I thought as much. I know he bugs me, it's his job after all, but what did he do to you?"

Dilandau frowned at this, "He didn't do anything really. I shouldn't have gotten so angry."

"Nonsense!" she said expansively, "Of course he did. He always does."

Dilandau's frown deepened, "No. He really didn't. Why do you hate him so much?"

If this caught her off guard she didn't show it.

"Do I need a reason?" she asked, her eyebrows raised dramatically and her voice flippant.

"Yes." He replied, "Yes you do. Come on. When have you ever hated anyone? What did this guy do to tick you off?"

"Okay. I don't hate him. I just think he's annoying."

"Why did you push him today?"

She looked baffled, "When?"

"I don't mean physically Tomi. You made him play that match."

Hitomi started denying this and Dilandau listened to her for a whole minute. His eyes grew steadily flatter and his face bleaker until he cut across her rudely, asking in the most frustrated voice she had ever heard him use, "Why do you make an effort with his guy?"

"What?" She looked confused now. "Why do I take an effort? What does that even mean?"

Dilandau strode towards her and grabbed her by the shoulders.

"Why. Do. You. Take. An. Effort. With. Him?" he said slowly, enunciating each word with great difficulty. His breath came out short and his eyes were narrow, red slits.

"Dilandau." She looked worried, "Calm down!" She pulled away and said in what she hoped was a calming voice "I'm sorry. But I still don't get it. What are you talking about?"

"Hitomi." He sounded tortured. "You don 't give most of us the time of day." "Why him?" Bitterness was the emotion evident in every word.

"What do you mean I don't give you the time of day? I thought we were friends!"

"Why do you play this game with him?" he demanded, ignoring her. "This back and forth battle? Why do you let _him_ get under your skin, when no one else has? Why is it that when _he's_ in the room, some part of you is always preoccupied with him?"

"You think I like him?!" she sounded dumfounded.

"I think that you pay more attention to him than someone claiming to dislike him should."

Hitomi looked at Dilandau disbelievingly, "Look. Fanel is just a guy that irritates me. He gets under my skin, but not always. I don't care whether he's in the same room or not and I most certainly don't think about him all the time."

"Then what happened at the game today?"

She sighed, "Look I'm not proud to admit it, but the fact that he beat my record at track… well it irked me."

"It _irked_ you?" he asked sarcastically.

"Will you ignore the word and just listen." She snapped. "I was angry and I just wanted to prove to him that I still had it."

"Not one person gave a damn that he beat you." Dilandau pointed out. "No one asked for you to prove anything. I understand that you wanted to prove whatever it was to us; your closest friends. You didn't have to, but it's understandable. But to Fanel? A guy you barely know?"

"Not to him." She said quickly.

"You just said it Hitomi." She didn't know whether it was her imagination or not, but he looked like he was shaking. "You just said, 'I wanted to prove to him.'"

"Well I meant everyone."

Dilandau just stood there looking at her, his expression pained. "Did you know Tomi, that for all the time I've known you I've been terrified Fanel would arrive."

"What?"

"Well not Fanel. But what he represents to you. He's your challenge Tomi."

Hitomi sighed, "Dilandau you aren't making any sense."

"That's because you aren't listening Tomi." He told her in a regretful tone. "And I don't know why I bother saying anything, because I've never been the one that can make you listen and tonight I've realized that I never will be."

Hitomi looked a little scared now. She moved towards Dilandau with her hand out to reach for his shoulder. To his surprise and her shock he moved back to avoid it.

She stood there, with her hand out stretched, for a moment her expression one of terror.

A wave, small as it had to travel quite a distance, splashed against their feet. Dilandau noted rather detachedly that it was a broken wave. It didn't have the power of the waves further out at sea… It was small, exhausted and broken.

"Dil…" she started, but he cut her off, "Hitomi, I really can't do this much longer."

"Do what?" she asked desperately. "Dilandau, if you would just tell me…"

He looked at her oddly, "I just told you Tomi. But I was right. You never listen."

And he walked past her, ignoring the gut wrenching feeling.

He was a bastard. He had known that for a while now.

His only consolation was that he was a bastard who knew when it was time to move on.

The waves continued splashing against his legs, but as he moved further away, they got bigger.

* * *

**Note:** I know it's a bit odd. It's all fun and then it takes such a serious note. There's another little thing on this chapter on my profile. Read it if you want to know what made me end this particular chapter this way.

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	4. Chapter 4

_**Chapter Four**_

_A Very Long Evening._

Yukari had been friends with Hitomi for long enough to know when trouble was brewing.

And the sound of Hitomi's much-too fast gabble, arch jokes and too loud laugh told her one thing; trouble was definitely brewing.

Was there anything she could do about it? She highly doubted it. But that didn't make her stop worrying. She hadn't failed to notice the Dilandau hadn't come back with Hitomi. Nor had she failed to notice the extra pains Hitomi was taking to stay out of Vans' way.

When Merle dragged her along to the house to get everyone's stuff before they trooped off to dinner she hardly expected to find the reason for her worries standing on Millerna's deck, unequivocally angry and swearing at the sea.

Yukari pushed Merle into the house and whispered "Shhh!"

They both watched Dilandau kick the railing in fury and swear some more.

"Dam it Hitomi!" he hissed.

Yukari watched with worry and Merle with interest as he walked around the deck muttering to himself.

Yukari made a move to go to him, but a small hand held her wrist tightly. She turned to Merle who shook her head gently.

She then pulled her into the house and softly shut the door.

"You take all the stuff back Yuki." She ordered. "I'll deal with the angst ridden teenager back there."

"But…" Yukari began and then shut up. She sighed and agreed. "You know what? Please do. If he hadn't looked so horribly upset I'd probably have made fun of him."

"I'll fix it so that the next time you see him, you can do it with a clean conscience." She promised.

Yukari laughed, "Thanks Merle. I wouldn't even begin to know what to say to him to get him to calm down."

Merle smiled as shoved a pile of bags into Yukari's outstretched arms.

"Sometimes Yuki, " she explained as she added the last one, "it's better to not say anything."

* * *

Dilandau sat on the deck and contemplated what would happen if he were to jump in.

Death? Hardly. The water was probably warm and the tide couldn't be strong enough to drag him out to sea…yet.

Hitomi would have killed him for even considering it. But then again she never could understand how anyone could willingly enter a water body that held more than five feet of water.

He hoped someone would teach that girl to swim someday.

A slow smile began to form but halfway through it he seemed to change him making and a heavy frown descended making him look extremely unapproachable.

"Hitomi." he said her name slowly as if trying to convince himself of something.

Then he stood up, kicked his shoes off and dived in.

* * *

Merle was busy preparing ice tea when she happened to glance out and observe Dilandau jump into the ocean.

Glass and spoon in hand she dashed out,

Horrendous pictures and headlines alternated.

"Teenager jumps into sea due to failure in love!"

"Body of teenager found thrashed against Kiligara Rocks."

Only a few of these fears were allayed when she saw that the idiot was actually swimming instead of trying to kill himself. But she stayed on a deck for a whole minute to make sure he didn't go to far out.

'He must be pretty mad.' she thought to herself as she made her way back in.

Experience with angry men – her father, brothers, yes unfortunately plural, and ex-boyfriends- had taught her one thing. When a man was that angry either stay out of his way or give him a beer, stick around to make sure he didn't kill himself but NEVER ask him if he wanted to talk about it.

They never did.

Her hunt for beer being, mercifully, unsuccessful she decided on ice tea.

A quarter of an hour later she saw that he was back. And lying down: totally unconcerned that he had a dinner to go to…

… Then again, if it had been her dealing with the fact that someone she'd loved for a pretty long time, had probably never even thought of her as anything but a friend and probably even worse as a sibling- she'd heard Hitomi say it and undoubtedly Dilandau had too -she supposed she'd want to avoid them too.

She made her way towards him, glasses in hand, still unnoticed and stood bent over him for a full minute before he suddenly opened his eyes and yelled.

"What the?! Dilandau you freak! Why did you scream?" Merle yelled staggering backwards and nearly tripping over her own feet.

"I open my eyes and see two big brown ones! What the hell do you expect? You scared me!" Dilandau said defensively.

Merle rolled her eyes and said, "Oh yeah Dilandau...because I'm sooooo scary."

Dilandau gave her a caustic look and she realized sympathetically that all his troubles had just come back to him.

So when he asked in a suspicious voice, "What are you doing here anyway?" Merle ignored him and plonked down next to him.

Dilandau looked at her expectantly, but all she did was give him a glass of ice tea before taking a sip of her own.

Dilandau took the glass and asked roughly "Aren't you going to dinner?"

"It can wait." She replied in a serious voice.

"Well I don't need you sitting here, playing doctor." He told her angrily.

She turned to him, her eyes watching him thoughtfully.

Then she laughed.

"Someone has a big ego don't they?" she noted before taking another sip.

"Excuse m…" he began outraged.

She cut across him quickly, "I'm here for the sunset Dilandau. You should try it; calms you down, helps you think things out. And while I don't mind the company, if you keep talking, you're going to ruin it."

Dilandau, clearly expecting some sort of pity speech and ready for a fight, looked considerably balked.

So he sat quietly, drunk his ice tea and thought.

Nothing was said.

They simply watched as dusk approached, forcing the red sun to slowly sink into the sea.

Minutes later, Dilandau, almost embarrassedly said, "Merle?"

"Mmmm?" Merle asked tearing her gaze away from the sun.

Dilandau struggled for a minute and said painfully, "Thanks."

"Don't mention it." She said and went back to watching the horizon as the last bit of the sun silently disappeared.

* * *

Hitomi sat towards one end of the table and watched Van make his way to the same end with a great deal of hostility.

Which was probably why she grabbed the arm of the closest person and said happily "Allen!" as she pulled him down besides her, thus giving Van no choice but to sit besides the playboy.

Allen grinned slowly, "The girl we all owe this dinner too." He drawled.

She smiled and shrugged, "Well… I suppose so."

Allen never missed an opportunity, but he wasn't an idiot either. So before he never began any sort of flirtation he always checked for possible boyfriends, fiancées, husbands, fathers, brothers and of course lovelorn best friends.

He leaned forward, "Where's the guard dog?" he asked quietly.

Van shifted a little to his right.

"Huh?" Hitomi asked looking up from a menu.

"Dilandau?" he asked. "Surely you can't expect m to sit next to you carefree if he's going to glare at me all evening and then punch me later.

Hitomi gave him a strained smile, "He isn't here yet."

Allen grinned and put his arm around her, "Perfect."

The object of his amorous intentions looked pointedly at the hand and said, "You enjoy using that don't you?"

The threat was lost on the blonde, he merely said, "I always thought we'd get along very well."

Hitomi rolled her eyes, "Allen." She said exasperatedly.

He turned and looked at her, with what he must have assumed was a seductive stare Hitomi guessed.

"I'd rather you moaned it." He told her.

She went pale and then red and barked, "Van get up and out!"

Van, who had been half listening, thinking that he had been found out, jumped out of the booth with a guilty expression.

A loud thud made the rest of the party turn.

Raucous laughter followed.

Yukari giggled and asked hopefully, "Awww has the poor blonde got hurt?"

Allen who had been forced out of the booth very unceremoniously picked himself up with dignified look and then promptly ruined the effect by saying, "What the hell Sachi! I was just joking."

But by this time Hitomi had already grabbed Van by the arm and pulled him down next to her.

"Yeah? Joke with someone else." She told him. She turned to apologize to Van for yelling at him and saw him look shocked.

A grin replaced the apologetic look and she explained half laughing, "I'd take you over that any day Fanel."

"And yet you picked him first." He noted lightly.

Hitomi flushed faintly, "Yeah well... I've learnt my lesson."

It was at that moment that Merle chose to walk in, Dilandau in toll.

Hitomi for the third time that day, and probably her life, turned red.

It was more a shade of crimson than just pink Van noted interestedly.

She looked at Dilandau defiantly before turning to talk to Van almost sweetly.

Van replied in kind, but he didn't fail to notice the tense look on Dilandau's face and sighed.

He was going to get pummelled.

Yukari sat at the head of the table and watched this terribly scripted drama unfold; half exasperated and half amused.

She called out to Merle and smirked when Dilandau wordlessly followed.

The 'angst-ridden teenager' as Merle had so aptly phrased it, looked not quite as 'angst-ridden' as downright jealous.

He had pulled up a chair and sat down besides Yukari quietly, but his eyes never left the furthest end of the table.

"So what do you want?" Yukari asked him.

"Huh?" he asked, quickly looking back at her.

"What do you want?" she repeated, this time with a sardonic glint that made him say testily, "Whatever she's having." A thumb was jabbed in Merle's general direction.

Yukari leaned forward and said in a whisper, "You should have said it a little louder for the desired effect." She advised him.

He grit his teeth but chose, wisely, to say nothing.

Yukari pushed her chair back, "Walk with me." She ordered.

"I'll pass thank you." He said coldly.

"Walk with me Dilandau." She said seriously, losing both the look of amusement and the ironic air.

He got up and followed, looking thoroughly disgruntled.

Hitomi watched them leave with forbearance and turned back to attend to Van.

"… so you'll do it?" he finished.

His eyes flickered to the departing pair, but for the most part his eyes stayed intent on Hitomi.

"Yeah sure." She answered having no idea what he was talking about.

"Great." He said smiling. "I'll look forward to watching you on the track. Amano won't shut up about you and the team he had when you were there."

She bit her lip, "Fanel, what did I just agree to?"

He smiled evilly, "Thought as much." He said. "Well you can't back down now. Consider it your punishment for trying to use me to get Dilandau jealous."

"Excuse me!"

"You heard me." He said, "And let me tell you, it's nice to see that you're still as open as ever." The sarcasm was unmistakable.

She opened her mouth to retort in kind, and then abruptly shut it.

Van watched with amazement as she slid out of the booth and walked out of the restaurant.

After making sure Dilandau and Yukari were nowhere in sight, she headed for the gate and stood there, staring off into space.

Van's wary approach passed unnoticed until he said cautiously, "Hitomi?"

"Fanel." She acknowledged him with a brief nod. "What is it?"

Van looked at her for a minute, wondering whether she had a multiple personality disorder. Hadn't he just aggravated her in the restaurant?

He chose however not to push it and said, "I just thought I'd walk with you."

Hitomi wanted to let out a long and colourful rant about how she did not want to spend more time with him than necessary, but she found that she didn't have the energy to. So she shrugged lackadaisically.

Van began talking about the first thing that came to him and walked besides her.

She nodded occasionally, but he was the suspicious type. So he paused and looked at her expectantly.

Hitomi simply looked at him blankly, "Yeah Fanel. I agree with you."

This all-purpose answer confirmed his suspicions.

"You weren't listening to a word I said, were you?"

"Not really." She admitted without the slightest trace of shame. "I'm somewhat mentally preoccupied."

"I didn't think that was possible." He said with her with a smirk.

She didn't rise to the bait; she simply threw him a dirty look and said, "I think I'll walk a little further. Bye Fanel."

Van watched her leave with a worried look. He glanced back at the restaurant where a delicious dinner waited for him and then back to street she'd walked onto where a slightly insane, scary girl waited for him… well not waited per say. But she was in trouble. And he had a guilty feeling that he was the cause of it.

He cursed and ran after her.

"Don't dash off Kanzakhi." He called out mockingly, "You know I could outrun you."

"Go away you worm." She told him, her voice flat.

"Worm?" he asked now walking in front of her with his back turned, uncaringly, to the general direction in which they were heading. "A little crude, but it's better than nothing I suppose. I wondered whether you were going to stop reacting."

Hitomi stopped dead, and looked at Van with a serious expression on her face. "What did you say?"

"Huh… that I was afraid you would stop reactin…"

She stopped him by grabbing his shoulder. "I DO NOT REACT to YOU." She said this in a low voice that burned with anger.

But Van studied her for a moment and said in an infuriatingly calm voice, "Yes you do."

She let go of him and said, "I don't!" It was almost a wail. "You irritate me, so I say things, I fight with you, but I do not play games with you! I don't react to you Fanel!"

Van went to her side and patted her on the back, "Exactly. You react to me."

Van had a good feeling he knew what this was about. Dilandau...

She was nearly shaking with rage. "Fanel." She sounded furious, "You go and tell him that I do not react to you."

Van dropped his hand and shook his head, "No."

"Fanel." She said it again, but dangerously, "Don't make me hurt you. I swear I will. Go tell him what you know is true. Tell him that he's wrong."

"Hitomi. Even if I did it wouldn't make a difference. Yes I am a small part of why he's angry with you, but really he isn't angry with you. He's in love with you."

"LOOK!" She yelled this out, "Cut the crap. Dilandau is not in love with me. He's my friend. A friend I cannot stand to lose. And right now I'm losing him because he thinks that we…" she gestured between them wildly, "…have some sort of thing. A connection or something. You know it isn't true. I know it isn't true. Just do something decent for once in your life and tell him."

"No." he said again and began to walk back to the restaurant.

"I don't think I react to you. Doesn't that count?!" she shouted after him.

He didn't answer.

"Fanel… please." Her voice broke and shook, her fists balled up and her shoulders hunched together. "Please." She said again her voice as small as she looked.

He stopped and turned back to her. She looked near tears, "Hitomi. Tell me you love him."

"What?"

"Tell me you love Dilandau. That's why you can't stand losing him. Tell me that you feel more strongly for him than for anyone else. Tell me that the only reason you've been rising to my insults is to get him jealous. Tell me all of that then I'll tell him that you don't react to me."

"But I don't love him. Not like that. It isn't true."

"Exactly." He replied and he continued walking.

* * *

Hours later Hitomi waved off Yukari and Amano with relief before turning to her house. Lights shone through the windows and the porch light was on, but she fished out her keys anyway. She could have rung the bell, but she had no idea if he would be asleep already. He worked long hours and usually crashed the moment he got home.

All the lights in the house seemed to be switched on. She closed the door behind her and dropped her bag to the floor.

She collapsed onto the couch without bothering to greet her brother.

Momaru Kanzakhi shouted out jovially, "Is that you, sister o' mine?"

She made a sound halfway between a yes and a grunt.

Then she suddenly asked "Why are you awake?" she asked.

He came out grinning and said, "I got home a few hours back… around six actually." He said. His back was turned to her and he stood in front of the stove. "You weren't home." He noted.

"There was a beach party." She explained. Her voice sounded so morose that Momaru raised an eyebrow.

"I'll ask you why this party was so terrible in a minute. But first… I suppose I have no right to ask…" he hesitated, "… but do you usually party on a school night?"

She rolled her eyes at him. "Have you seen my grades?"

His forehead furrowed. "All right. I get it. You don't." He went back into the kitchen and shouted out, "So why was this party so terrible?"

"It wasn't I suppose." She shouted back.

He peeked out of the kitchen and said with a worried look, "Then what was it?"

She began to explain that it was nothing when the phone rang.

"Let the machine take it." Momaru said quickly. "It might be from work."

She nodded and got up to grab the remote.

As she switched on the screen she heard the dull, automated voice that they had mutually decided not to record over tell whoever was on the line to leave a message.

The unavoidable, irritating beep.

"_Momaru…" _an unquestionably female voice said hesitantly.

Hitomi's head spun around so fast that she cricked her neck.

Momaru walked out of the kitchen cautiously, staring at the phone that stood behind the couch as if it were a grenade.

"Momaru? Hitomi?"

Hitomi jumped of the couch and practically ran to her brother's side. He clutched her hand.

"_Are either of you there? Pick up the dam phone."_

Neither of them so much a moved an inch.

"_Look I'll be there next week. I'd like to see the both of you. There are some things we need to discuss."_

They looked at each other, Hitomi gulped and Momaru was biting his lower lip.

A sigh. _"Fine. Pretend you aren't there. If by some extraordinary circumstance you've forgotten what I sound like, this is your mother calling..."_

They knew.

* * *


	5. Chapter 5

**Hullo loves! I'm back! Exams are over, sufficient vacation time has been taken and there's a good month of the summer left (to be dedicated purely to fanfiction of course!) So here's the next chapter and I will be the first to admit that it's not a very exciting chapter even with the major development. It really has very little to do with Hitomi, but don't worry, the next chapter is dedicated purely to Van and her. I thought it was about time Van got some time for himself. I mean, I find his obsession adorable, but he does have other interests, and you'll see some of them in this chapter *chuckles evily* So read, enjoy and review!**

**LLL**

**M.S.**

* * *

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Escaflowne.

* * *

**Chapter Five**

**_Love? Really?_**

Sunlight flitted in and out of the room, as if unsure of just how welcome it would be.

But then an unnaturally strong gust of wind blew the curtains apart and the sun, taking full advantage of this, poured into the room and more importantly onto the bed that lay directly under the window.

At the _exact_ moment, because the world always times these things together, a buzzing sound began.

A vaguely humanoid looking creature stirred.

The buzzing continued.

The creature rolled out of bed, with much effort, but was still entangled in a cocoon of purple sheets.

Finally it managed to extricate a hand from it's cocoon- all the while grumbling- and grabbed the shiny metallic object that was the cause of all that buzzing.

After hitting the green button on said shiny device it raised the device to its ear.

"What the fuck do you want?" Yukari asked, without preamble.

"_Well, aren't you a morning person?"_ Millerna Aston drawled.

Yukari stood up and let her sheets fall around her. "You made me wake up three minutes too soon. Three minutes often decides what sort of mood I'm in for the rest of the day."

"_Oh?"_ Millerna asked, _"And yet, when Amano's the one waking you up early so you can meet him before school and do God knows what, you're so cheerful."_

Yukari rolled her eyes, unaffected by the insinuations, "It isn't all that hard to guess what we're doing Millerna. And when you can make up for having woken me up this early, half as well as he can, I'll be less snappy." Yukari began to move towards her bathroom, "So what do you want?" She added.

"_A ride."_

"Oh God, Millerna!" wailed Yukari, "Hitomi passes by your house everyday! Call her."

"_And have her tell me to wake up extra early because she has training?"_ Millerna asked in a deceptively sweet voice. _"No thank you_!"

"Well she didn't go this morning." Yukari said with a huff.

"_Just pick me up. I'll be waiting by the curb."_ And she cut the line.

Half an hour later, Yukari pulled up to the curb of Palais Street and scowled as Millerna chirpily wished her good morning.

As Yukari watched her get into her car, the scowl lightened and became a mild frown. She wondered why Millerna had been so insistent.

"Why wasn't Merle available for the morning pick up?" She asked, while stepping down on her accelerator.

Millerna snorted, "Yeah Yukari, because Merle is the most punctual person on the planet." She looked out of the window with a stormy expression.

Yukari watched her from the corner of her eye and said nothing for a minute, wondering how to bring up the matter of Van without having her head bitten off.

"A certain boy still keeping her up?" She finally asked, her tone light and her eyes on the road.

Millerna pulled a face and then shook her head in disgust, "Honestly, if he weren't Dryden's best friend, I would strangle him!"

Yukari continued to look straight ahead, but the mild frown turned into an even milder smirk.

She really did have a knack for predicting the future.

Tomi may be the one who read Tarot cards, but Yukari had a firm understanding of social patterns and that allowed her a very clear and usually accurate idea of what was going to happen before it actually did.

Hitomi, in all fairness gave perfectly good advice, but never could she understand the situation before it had been brought to her attention. She could never tell that something was going to happen between whoever and whoever. And perhaps she didn't really want to know it… Yukari had always gotten the feeling that for all her playing around with those cards, Hitomi had a strong belief that the future was better left to unravel itself.

Yes… Hitomi Kanzakhi preferred not knowing.

And Yukari revelled in it! It wasn't the same and yet it was. Yukari frowned, and she considered that.

'How?' she asked herself.

'Simply because,' a quite voice began, 'at the end of the day it left two girls; one who looked ahead, eager to experience the future and the other who looked ahead wearily, expecting not very much.'

Feeling confused by this sudden, strangely accurate insight into her complex friend, she frowned.

Then remembering that she wasn't alone Yukari pushed her almost philosophical thoughts away.

"So the one day friendship is still going strong?" She asked Millerna in a tentative voice, thus turning her protracted silence into a period in which she had been trying to think of how to ask that very question.

The girl besides her nodded sourly, unconsciously accepting the implied excuse, "It'll be a week today, and I'm pretty sure Merle and him exchanged their deepest darkest secrets about five minutes after they got talking."

"Are they going out?" Yukari was curious. While she could imagine it, she wasn't too sure whether they'd see it too. After all, a good friendship was hardly deplorable.

Millerna snapped around and gave her chauffer for the morning a searching, sharp look. But all she saw was a placid expression, tinged with faint curiosity.

"No!" She said emphatically, turning back to her window. Then her expression turned amused, "Don't worry. I'm pretty sure Hitomi's still his girl… Well you know what I mean. I expect he's in some sort of trouble and Melre was just waiting with open arms."

Yukari fought down the wave of irritation that urged her to explain just why she was sure Fanel wasn't in love with her best friend at the moment.

"So she doesn't fancy him?" She asked instead.

"Hardly! I mean Merle's had enough heart break to know that you don't get together with someone in a week… well not seriously anyway." Millerna said this in an offhand tone, clearly not bothering to give such ridiculous notions even a thought.

Yukari kept her eyes on the road ahead and said nothing.

* * *

Hitomi threw her school bag onto the couch and headed straight for the kitchen to find whatever Momaru had prepared for breakfast.

She hoped it wasn't eggs again.

It was ten minutes later, while gathering her things and getting ready to leave that she heard the voices.

'Was Momaru still home?' she wondered.

She walked past the sitting room quietly, bag hung over her shoulder and materials for the art club piled into her arms, before stopping outside her brother's door.

"What do you mean I can't meet her?!"

It was yelled.

Hitomi bit her lip. 'Naria was here this early?' She moved forward and listened intently to her brother and his girlfriend.

"I mean you can't meet her." She heard Momaru answered tersely.

"Why not?"

My mother is…" Momaru seemed to trail off.

"Is…?"

"Medusa. And yes, things do tend to turn to stone around her."

Hitomi would have rolled her eyes at the hyperbole if it had been used to describe any other woman in the world. When used in a sentence with her mother's name, nickname or any pronoun related to her, it was… simply accurate.

"Will you just tell me what this long drawn out battle with your mother is really about?"

Outside, Hitomi held her breath.

"Well…" Momaru began.

Hitomi Kanzakhi tensed up as she heard it.

That 'Well…' like many other single syllable pre-gut spillers, for example: 'See…' and the all time favourite 'Um…' would result in disaster.

So Hitomi barged into the room screeching in the happy tone she saved for the only girlfriend of Momaru's she had ever liked, "Naria!!"

Naria turned and tried, ineffectively, to look happy.

Hitomi paused halfway into the room and said with sudden, uncharacteristic and totally beguiling nervousness, "I'm sorry… I didn't realize…" she broke off scared.

Naria immediately looked guilty and said "No, no Tomi! It isn't anything. I'm glad to see you."

Her bother, watching this with a knowing, exasperated look said "Hitomi!"

Hitomi's lower lip trembled.

Naria immediately rounded on him and said, "Momaru Kanzakhi, don't you dare yell at your sister!"

Momaru mumbled an apology, but glared at his sister when his girlfriend turned her back to him.

"I'll go." Hitomi said in a noble, self-sacrificing tone, "I can see you're discussing something important…"

Naria waved this aside, "Nonsense! We'll talk it over later. We," she said gesturing between them, "have other things to discuss."

"Oh?" Hitomi asked.

"Merle told me that she was broke because of you. And who's this boy she keeps talking about…"

Hitomi grinned and said, "The boy I don't know, but as for the other thing; couldn't help it. If you'd seen some of their plays you would have killed them…"

Momaru watched the two women in his life walk out, feeling irritated.

As he picked up his keys he vaguely wondered whether the army would accept a tied, gagged 17 year old, if the accompanying note said that she was a master diversionist.

He grimaced.

They would, he supposed, until they removed the gag.

* * *

Merle swatted Van's head as she walked past him. This was no simple feat considering her diminutive figure.

He grinned after her, feeling unusually cheerful.

Merle suddenly stopped and turned around to call back, "Are you free on Sunday?"

"Can't." He apologized as he half jogged to reach her. "I'm running against your co-head. And then I have to work at my uncles restaurant."

Merle's brows furrowed, "You are? But I heard Tomi tell Yukari that she was looking for Amano. In fact she's been trying to corner him all week. Didn't you notice how he just disappears when she arrives?"

Van shook his head. Honestly he hadn't. And that was probably because he had been doing the exact same thing all week.

Merle continued with a laugh, "Then she'll swear a little- I wonder how she picks up those words? It's like she hangs out with bikers- and run off after him." She paused and looked at Van curiously, "See, I got the distinct impression that she wasn't going to do it."

Van smiled a smug little smile, "She'll do it," he told her in an confident voice, "that girl has too much pride not to."

Merle silently wondered whether Van _really_ thought he knew Hitomi.

Over the last week Merle had gotten to know Van well and she had picked up that he thought he had Hitomi all figured out. When they'd talked that first time, at dinner, she'd tried to show him that he didn't. But he'd brushed her advice off and started talking about something else.

Honestly, Merle had been thrilled when he'd changed the subject and then proceeded to talk to her all through dinner, as he dropped her home and then late into the night.

It hadn't been anything special- they were just two people who found their interests and thoughts similar enough to be able to enjoy a good discussion.

Van was not someone who deceived himself. So when he'd _really talked_ to Merle for the first time a week ago - such a short while, really? – he'd no problems admitting that he had been surprised by her.

He'd discovered that she was more than the happy-go-lucky, friendly to fault girl he'd first thought her to be. While he'd expected a few more layers- everyone had them after all- he had been unprepared for someone who had almost as many interests as the complicated Kanzakhi.

Merle was as comfortable discussing fashion as she was discussing contemporary writers. She loved sports despite being terrible at anything that required hand-eye coordination. And she could go on and on about music.

That first night Van had talked like a man who'd been deprived of a tongue for all his life. While Van could strike up an easy conversation with anyone, never had he felt the need to just talk. Never before had he felt compelled to explain, at two in the morning, why he loved to run.

For her part, Merle had been pleasantly surprised. A guy she had immediately termed 'Hotter than the sun!' was interesting and did seem to have thoughts that didn't involve 'Hitomi Kanzakhi'.

At first Merle, who hadn't dated for all of three months, couldn't quite imagine dating him, still pretty convinced that he had a thing for Hitomi. So she was content to remain friends. But three days into their sudden friendship she realized one devastating fact; Van Fanel was a charmer.

She could never resist charmers.

So when she heard Van's too-sure answer, she looked at him with a mischievous glint and the hint of a smile. As they parted ways, she turned to him and murmured in an audible, teasing voice, "She's not the only one."

* * *

Amano watched with actual fear, as Hitomi approached him. For six days after the dinner he had been avoiding her.

He wasn't the most perceptive person in the world, but you really didn't need to be one to know when Hitomi was going to kill you.

All it took was one look at her mouth.

When one side was turned up slightly, she was annoyed but curious.

When she pursed those lips, she was deep in thought.

When they were stretched a little, she was trying not to laugh.

And when it was a thin line, she was pissed off.

That thin line opened ever so slightly as she sat besides him and out of it came an angry hiss, "You idiot!"

The book in front of him was shut with a vicious snap.

Amano gulped, "Hitomi." He said in what he hoped was a pleasant whisper. "We really shouldn't be talking… library and all."

The line became, if possible, even thinner, "Don't you dare think that I'll let you get away again! We will discuss this, now! I'll tie the bloody librarian to her chair if I have to. You too."

Amano let out a nervous, high pitched laugh, "Get away? Why would I want to get away? Don't be ridiculous Tomi!"

Hitomi leaned forward and gripped his hand fiercely, "You will cancel this track thing Fanel fooled me into. I don't care what you have to do. Tell him that the coach said no; tell coach that we both decided to do it later. Whatever it takes!"

"It would be better if you just finished it." Amano tried to reason out.

Hitomi let go of the hand abruptly; she sat back in her chair and put her head in her hands. "God, Amano. Just do it. I have enough to do this Sunday."

Amano had learnt a few things from his girlfriend- one of them was not letting things go. "Hitomi, what's up? Why don't you want to do this? Its just one run."

"Like I said- there are things I need to do this Sunday."

"Well move them around."

"I can't."

Amano sighed, "Come on, what's so important that you can't push it?"

She let out a bark of laughter, but her head remained down, "Important? I'd hardly call it that. If I had my way, I'd never do it. But Momaru's insisting and I really can't get out of it."

Amano looked curious, but only said, "Okay then, I'll move it to next week."

Hitomi looked up surprised.

Amano grinned, "What did you think I'd let you get out of it that easily? Oh no, I want to see my best runner beat Van."

Hitomi grinned suddenly, "Was I you best? You could've said it while I was actually on the team you know."

Amano shrugged, "Coach always says that you should never praise 'em."

Hitomi made a gesture indicating that perchance such things were true.

Amano chuckled softly and got up, "So you'll run next Sunday?"

"Why not? I've come to realize that kicking Fanel's ass gives me more pleasure than… well kicking your ass."

Amano laughed outright and received a glare from his fellow students.

He ignored them and called back as he left, "And that is saying something isn't it?"

"It is indeed!" she replied; now grinning from ear to ear.

* * *

As the bell signalling break rang Merle walked out of her class, thoroughly miffed that a day that had shown promise of being halfway decent had turned so rotten in just two periods.

Economics had been unbearable with a pop quiz that made one want to kill oneself right then and there! And ecology had been traumatizing. Let it suffice to say that a manure pit, baskets of earthworms and a group of imbecilic teenage boys with a terrible sense of humour had been involved.

She hoped, rather optimistically, that things would get better.

It had to after all… things could never get worse.

They always did.

The bell had ended its gong like intone.

It was at that moment that Merle decided to run, suddenly wanting to try to understand the feeling Van had tried to explain. Unwise decision Millerna would have told her- Merle'd never understand after all.

It was. And she didn't.

A loud thud, followed by a moan and low swearing sounded in the corridor.

Merle looked up at a smiling face and said, rather yowled, "Must you saunter around the school with THAT over your shoulder!" She pointed an accusing finger at his guitar.

Dilandau's smile widened, but he retorted "Must you start your day by ramming into something?"

Merle had been about to begin a colourful, untrue, rant about how it wasn't her fault when she saw his face go blank and then grim.

Merle scowled at him but turned around slightly to see whatever he was glaring at.

Hitomi was almost waltzing out of the school library with a roguish smile on her face. Merle, momentarily forgetting Dilandau, wondered what she had been doing for her eyes to dance so wickedly. Then a sudden fear took her over. Van was alive, right?

She turned back to Dilandau about to voice this worry.

In what must have been a second Dilandau's grim expression changed. As he looked down at her again, an uncharacteristic but engaging smile flashed across his face.

As Hitomi neared them, looking a little less cheerful with each step, he bent down, put his arm around Merle's waist and helped her up.

From the corner of her eye, Merle saw Hitomi's gaze narrow in on Dilandau's hand with a look so intense that Merle was sure that she was trying to will it to spontaneously combust.

Hitomi looked up from the arm and caught an equally deadly look from Dilandau. She lowered her eyes quickly, unable to deal with the intensity of that glare. And yet, she stopped on reaching them.

Still unable to meet his gaze- the memory of their talk and Van's words were still too fresh- she looked at Mizuk.

Merle was staring at Dilandau as if he had grown a third head. She quickly moved out of his grasp and stuttered a thank you.

Over the years Merle had noted that Fate had a funny, or as she preferred to call it sadistic, way of pushing awkward situations until they were so bad that she just wanted to turn and run.

That day Fate did so by throwing Van Fanel into the wonderful little meeting they were having. While many would have thoroughly enjoyed watching the uncomfortable situation unfold, Merle did not.

Especially when Van, clearly aware of the almost tangible tension in the air, said with casualness, to casual to be true casualness, "Hey."

Merle winced at the discomfited silence that followed.

Hitomi threw Van a look calculated to make him squirm before saying, "Dilandau... "

Dilandau seeing that look, said at the exact same moment, "Merle"

Hitomi stared at Dilandau with a look that indicated hurt and Dilandau felt himself thaw slightly. He may have even responded.

But Merle, unwittingly but quite understandably thinking that she was helping the situation, grabbed Van's arm and said with a slight tremor, "I should go… I'm... hungry? Yeah… I'm hungry! That's right! Come on Van!"

Van, who had been watching Hitomi intently with that usual look that made her feel like a science experiment, nodded and allowed himself to be dragged away.

Dilandau opened his mouth to say whatever one said at moments like that.

Then his eyes narrowed dangerously.

Hitomi who had watched Merle and Van leave with a peculiar look in her eyes, looked around to see Dilandau turn his back on her. She watched him with a look that was caught between hurt- because of his callous attitude- and frustration- at her inability to comfort him and tell him that the problem would go away. After all, she was the problem.

He heaved his guitar over his shoulder with a great show of unconcern and then strolled away to wherever he went when he was avoiding her.

She turned, squared her shoulders and continued her interrupted journey to the cafeteria.

* * *

Merle watched Van as he struggled through the cafeteria crowd and felt a sappy smile settle on her face.

She couldn't help it.

Three nights ago, as she'd listened to Van explain his complicated relationship with Hitomi she'd found herself believing him and feeling strangely hopeful. She was very, very sure that he wasn't in love with the co-president, but she also realized that she was glad; and not just because he no longer stood in danger of suffering form Hitomi caused heartache.

Merle, who lived everyday on the outside of her skin, was confused, for the very first time, by her own emotions. That first tug of attraction she had felt for Van was nothing like this new whirl of emotions. These emotions rushed around her head, as always, but now, unlike any other time, Merle wanted them to stop so that she could sit down and try to understand them.

Merle realized that she wasn't sure whether she really did like Van enough to go out with him. While she felt a sort of exaltation every time Van went an entire hour without mentioning Hitomi, she also found herself often feeling dubious. A week was a scarily short time and she couldn't help but feel that they were meant to be friends, no matter what her confused heart said.

She wondered, sometimes idly and sometimes with actual worry, whether the moment Hitomi got less angry, Van would return to his old hobby. She tried to convince herself that she wouldn't mind; after all, easy come, easy go. But to her intense irritation she did mind. And that bothered her even more.

Van looked back to the table where Merle sat and grinned ruefully indicating that she'd have to wait for a while.

She smiled back and mouthed that it was okay.

Van turned back to the counter and found himself thinking, not for the first time that week, about Merle.

Van wasn't confused. He, to be quite honest, didn't give it much thought. He saw her almost all day and talked to her for pretty much the same, but having previously been in relationships that were either painful or casual he wasn't quick to identify what they had. Van was quite aware that Merle made him laugh and that he loved how cheerful she could be, but he never questioned why she made him so happy.

If Van had ever so much as mentioned it to Hitomi, he would have had an answer in a minute.

She would have explained that there were several kinds of love. If, at that moment, there had been a soul unwise enough to interrupt her and question how she knew such things, as she claimed to have no experience in the matter, she'd have delivered a death glare and said scathingly, 'They're called books and sometimes they're actually accurate."

Now some would have scorned this answer and walked away believing that nothing good would ever come of an inexperienced adviser.

They would have been wrong.

The Universe, almost as if compensating her for her total lack of insight into herself, had given Hitomi the ability to get things about people around her exactly right.

While she definitely didn't see things before they happened, once they did she could have the whole situation credibly summarised and solved, if the situation was more a problem, in an incredibly short span of time.

She once explained it to Yukari by saying, "People laugh when I say it, but it's true. Most books have a lot of honesty in them. Authors rarely write without somehow connecting it to reality and what's going on around them. Sure sometimes they twist things around and make it seem unrealistic, but if you have a knack for being able to see things for what they are, and I do, you have a whole world of experience just sitting around."

So Hitomi would have explained, in a wise manner, that there were several kinds of love. The painful and torturous kind that allowed no sleep and often transformed its victims into zombie like, barely functional humans.

Then there was the sweet type. It would grow slowly, over months and years and leave people with a tingly feeling that promised, incorrectly Hitomi often added wryly, a happily ever after.

The last type on her list, skipping past unadulterated passion, casual love and at the drop of a hat love, was something Hitomi could never quite name. She always explained this one last. It could grow quickly or slowly and often without any warning. Most often it happened between people who found it easy to be around each other. So easy that faults were forgiven, annoying habits ignored and laughter was simply a given.

Sometimes people just clicked; reaching a level of intimacy and trust that took others years to reach in a matter of days. They'd start off by missing one another, if even gone for only a moment. Then they'd start depending on one another for the smallest of things. And then confusion, sudden realisation and finally love.

If Merle had approached Hitomi with this problem, like she had so many other times, she would have received this as her explanation.

Where Van didn't consider it, Merle didn't dare.

If Merle had dared she would also have gotten a warning of sorts. Hitomi would have added that no predictions could be made about it. She'd say, in a hard voice, that love- no matter what hopeless romantics chose to say- complicated things. So whether or not it would last was something else entirely.

She would have added kindly, even if it had been Merle with this particular problem, that for the moment they'd have the intense pleasure (or horror depending on how you saw it) of knowing that it was love.


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Escaflowne. (Oh come on, even the voices in my head know that!)

* * *

**Chapter Six**

'_Oh, what a Coincidence!'_

"Yukari?" Hitomi asked quietly from her place on the football field. Grass could be so pleasant when freshly mowed.

"Hmm?"

Hitomi rolled onto her stomach and propped herself up on her elbows. She looked very intent and Yukari noting it, felt mild worry. What did this girl want?

"Why did you drag Dilandau off that night?"

Yukari let out a sigh. She'd been wondering how long Hitomi would last before breaking down and asking. It had been two days since Hitomi's last complaint about Dilandau. And coincidentally- though quite possibly not, the universe seemed to live to make people say 'Oh, what a coincidence!'- two days since Dilandau's last rant about Hitomi. There had been added mutterings about 'crazy red-haired monster' and the 'Fanel prick'. Yukari correctly assuming he'd meant Merle and well, Van. She had decided she didn't want to know. Being involved in someone else's problems was bad enough- the things she did for that girl!- without needing a daily update.

"I needed to talk to him. Calm him down. You didn't leave him in a very pleasant state."

Hitomi's expression became one of shock and disbelief, "First of all, how do you know I had anything to do with it? And I left him in an unpleasant state? When he's the one who refuses to answer my calls and talk to me?"

Hearing the slightly hysterical note on which Hitomi ended Yukari glanced up at her with a thoughtful look. She said slowly "Just because you don' tell me anything doesn't mean that everyone does the same."

Hitomi blanched, "He told you?"

A nod.

"Everything?"

Another nod.

"And you didn't tell him it was total nonsense? The Fanel thing? Though why he needs to get so upset even if it were tru-"

Yukari let out a little laugh, "You're utterly useless at this aren't you?" She sat up, pulled her knees closer and rested her head on them, content to survey Hitomi through her uncontrollable brown hair as it fell across her face. She wasn't sure if she had the power to have this entire conversation with Tomi while every emotion she was feeling played across her face.

"Tomi, I did tell him he was wrong about Van. Dilandau is perceptive so he wasn't completely off- just about the bit where you were secretly in love with Van."

"Secretly _in love?"_

Yukari cringed at the disgust conveyed with those two words and was glad Tomi couldn't see her face. With Hitomi, it was one problem at a time and right now her issue with Dilandau was what needed sorting.

"Yes Tomi. That's why he gave you that big speech on the beach. He's jealous."

Hitomi swallowed, "But that means th-"

Yukari snorted, "About time. I love you darling, but you are painfully obtuse. He's so in love with you I doubt he would have been able to stick to that stupid resolve of ignoring you unless I'd convinced him it was the only way to get your attention."

Glad to have her thoughts channelled elsewhere even if for a minute she asked, completely incensed, "You told him to avoid me? Yukari! You knew how much it hurt and how upset I was! How could you?"

Yukari lifted her head and surveyed her best friend with a small smile, "For those very reasons. I hoped and prayed you'd be hurt. That this time, the guy wasn't forgettable."

Hitomi jumped up but said calmly, "Damn you Yukari. None of them were forgettable. Every single one of them dropped me. I wanted to stay friends. They didn't."

Yukari laughed, not very pleasantly, "Tomi, can you imagine how difficult it is to stay friends with someone you know will never love you back? Of course not. You've never loved anyone." The last part she added with weariness.

Yukari began to stand up and subsequently missed it. The one expression that would have made her question everything she knew or thought she knew about her friend. It lasted only a moment, but it was an expression that conveyed guilt- perhaps caused by Yukari's words- and more importantly extreme pain.

But when Yukari faced her, all she saw was Hitomi's most neutral expression, saved for situations she didn't know how to handle. So she said, "No. You never have, until now I hope. Tell me you love him."

"What in Gods name makes you think that?" She asked so shocked she couldn't stop herself from blurting it out so... crudely.

"You want him back for on thing." Yukari pointed out, ignoring how cruelly damaging that sentence could have been. "You've been moping for a week. And," She broke off here to meet Hitomi's eyes. Hitomi knew what was coming. She almost let out an angry huff when Yukari finished with, "you went green with envy the moment you saw him with Merle."

Hitomi opened her mouth immediately, but found she couldn't say any of the angry retorts or explanations. When she saw the glitter of excitement in Yukari's eyes as she paused she felt her soul shrivel. She didn't have the heart to tell her the truth this moment. Yukari clearly thought that this was 'it'.

She chewed on her lips for a thoughtful moment and finally whispered, "Where is he?"

As Yukari answered, she felt a certain worry descend on her. This was exactly why they could never be told. Everything was so black and white for them The moment she cared about someone a little more than she usually did, it had to be labelled. They laid down these rules and if she didn't play by them she lost people. Important people.

Well she wasn't going to lose Dilandau. He might think he loved her, but she knew better. He was in need of a serious disillusionment and Hitomi was more than happy to be the one to provide it. She may have just 'dropped' the others, but she'd be damned if she let Dilandau off without a fight.

* * *

Van wandered through the school, not very sure where he was or where he was going, but details like direction and destination troubled him not at all at the moment.

He was feeling somewhat euphoric. There were many reasons for this. It was a Friday, thus signalling the weekend, he'd aced his math test, he'd actually talked with Hitomi without getting glared at (too much), lunch had been particularly tasty today and oh yes; he'd asked Merle out and she'd said yes.

It had felt odd really, asking her out seeing as they already had plans for Saturday, but he'd refused the offers of 'Dutch courage' from Dryden, ignored glares from Millerna, walked smack up to her in the middle of the school parking lot and asked her. And it had paid off!

He was so disgustingly happy that he would have clacked his heels together if he'd know how.

Knowing that it would be a futile and possibly masochistic thing to do, he settled for an idiotically wide grin.

This really was a good day, he thought again. Take art class for example...

"_Idiot." She greeted him as he sat down next to her. This was said very complacently and sans the inflections she usually used while addressing him. He was lulled into false sense of security. _

_So, "Girl Wonder." he replied with a grin._

_She'd been looking into an unhealthily fat book up till that moment. She snapped- more like thudded- the monstrosity shut and turned to him. "Idiot, we need to decide on our project. If you don't already know: that's what we're partners for. We have to complete it a month before our finals."_

_He ignored everything she said and asked in a conspiratorial whisper, "I only took art because I heard there isn't a final. You too I'm guessing You seem the type. Like me." He added the most annoying grin he could at the last part, knowing it was a rare phenomenon to have Hiotmi Kanzhaki not itching to kill him._

_She stared at him for a moment, mouth agape; the very thought that she was anything like him, rendering her totally lifeless. _

_He liked her best, Van decided, when she was like this. Silent and looking so pretty... like a fish._

_He said as much a minute later. It prompted a recovery on her part._

_She glared, "We need to submit our ideas at the end of next week." She was going to ignore him he realized with mock dismay. "I've already got some." She pulled out a file and handed it to him._

_He accepted the ordinary black file and read the words labelled on._

**VAN FANEL.**

**FINAL YEAR**

**SUBJECT: ART**

"_Did you pick mine up for me?" He asked as he flipped it open. It was already full of papers. Different coloured papers. And was that a timetable?_

"_Technically," she explained "you should have had Yukari's file, but if you'd seen the horrors she'd subjected it to, you wouldn't mind this one."_

"_I don't mind it-" He began to protest, but she ignored him and carried on._

"_That's your timetable I've stuck on the back and the syllabus is on the first page along with the guidelines for our project." She paused here and looked fully at him, "I've put my ideas in there and the schedules I think we'll need to work with to get any art project done in six months. Of course, we don't have to use any of my ideas, but they seemed like a good place to start."_

_It was his turn to gape, "Did you make this file for me?" He asked finally._

_She shrugged, but looked a little uncomfortable. "Look everyone in this class got one at the beginning of the semester. It had everything yours had down to the label in the front. Well barring the coloured sheets." She got a little excited here, "Those are the ideas. See blue is fo-"_

_He cut her off by saying "That was really nice of you. Going to all that trouble. Thank you." He wondered whether she'd squirm in her seat again. She didn't like, he felt, admitting that she'd done something for him._

_But now she looked pleased, "Well your welcome Fanel. It seemed unfair you'd have to struggle with the terrible photocopies our school gives us and stuff just because Yukari desecrated her art file with images of Tweety." She shuddered._

_He smiled and when she caught his gaze she did squirm slightly and say guilty "And really it took me like an hour. Thought getting a copy of your timetable would be tough, but they like me in the office. And the file was just an extra I had lying around. So while your gratitude is welcome, my little act of surprising kindness doesn't require your undying devotion." _

_She grinned cheekily at him before beginning to gather her things._

"_Where are you going off to?" He asked a little dazed. _

"_Oh, I'm never here for art on Friday. That's why there's the timetable for our work schedule. I know it'll have to be palnned around your own," She frowned at this minor inconvenience, "but I did consider your track meets and practises. Yukari gave me the list. So it should be alright. If you need to change anything email me the changes and I'll work it. My card is in there somewhere too."_

_She was... organized. And had a card? It oddly did not fit. "But why are you never in class?" _

_She looked up at him, while zipping her bag shut. "Oh, I usually have a meeting with the principal and the staff. In fact," She threw a quick glance in the direction of her wrist, "I'm late. I told them I had to sort this out with you and to wait for me, but I'd still better get going."_

_He looked at her warily now, "You told _the principal_ and _the teachers_ to 'wait for you' so you could talk to me?"_

_She began to look and feel guilty when she noticed how taken aback and suspicious he looked. She watched him carefully for a whole minute before saying, "Look Fanel, I'm not your biggest fan and I know I'd probably hurt you outside this class, but thrice a week, on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays we're partners. If I hurt you while in this classroom, technically I hurt myself." She shouldered her bag, and sent him a piercing look, "This does not mean that I want to be friends, discuss my so called issues or..." she muttered the last part but Van could have sworn he heard, 'snog you senseless, despite what Dilandau and Millerna think."_

_Having recovered a little during this speech that was just textbook Kanzakhi he merely grinned and waved her off._

Van lightly pushed open one of the doors that led into the gym, finally realizing he needed to get to his car. The gym opened right out onto the football and track field beyond which the car park stood. Van was still grinning. Only now it was because the very idea of Hitomi snogging anyone senseless seemed plain impossible to him.

And then because once again the universe did that thing where it stepped in and decided to make people go 'Oh, what a coincidence!' he stopped. Except 'Oh, what a coincidence!' would not have been Van's choice of words if he had been able to speak.

'Oh, what a coincidence!' would have been what he'd said if he'd 'lightly pushed open one of the doors that led into the gym' to see Hitomi walking towards him. _It_ would have been amusing.

'Oh, what a coincidence!' would have been what he'd said if he'd walked in on some random couple making out. _That _would have amused him.

What he saw did not amuse him and so understandably he did not say 'Oh, what a coincidence!' Instead, once he was no longer bereft of his powers of speech he decided to go with...

"What the fuck is going on?"

All of three meters away from where he stood, right up against the bleachers in a horribly clichéd way sat Dilandau. If the git had just been sitting there it would have hardly been a cause of complain, but he wasn't. He was most certainly not just sitting!

No he was sitting there and being straddled by one brown haired, green eyed Co-President. Who was also very busy kissing him.

Had he forgotten to mention she was _**straddling**_ him?

They broke apart when thee heard him. Hitomi turned, met his eyes and practically flew off Dilandau.

At that moment, three students came in from the field carrying a large box. The box was filled with shoes.

The logo of a considerably famous sports company caught his attention oddly enough. The words he read under it, almost made him gag.

In big bold letters read the words, _**"Impossible is nothing."**_

He turned to the now embarrassed looking pair, though the git looked slightly defiant, and said incomprehensibly, "You guys could be their sponsors."

He then turned and walked out.

* * *

_'Ello whoever is still following this! I'm a terrible person and I've no reasons except that I'm truly a bad fan fictionauthor because the moment life got hectic, I forgot all about my poor stories. (Note to any Pirates fan reading this: I'm trying, and I should be getting a new chapter up soon.) I don't know what I can say in terms of whether I'll be putting up chapters regularly, because while it is summer; I have a job. (This is that hectic stuff I was mentioning.) Of course, reviews always help- but no pressure at all. :P (Yes my pretties this is blackmail) Anyway, my apology was the chapter you just read. Hopefully you'll all be yelling for my blood, but also hopefully you're all totally thrilled. Drop a review to let me know. ^^_

_Live, Laugh and Love_

_The Moonspinner._


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer:** I don't own very much Escaflowne included.

* * *

**Chapter Seven.**

_Unwelcome Interruptions_

"What do you want? Dilandau asked without looking up from his book.

Hitomi took a deep breath and tried to keep a check on her temper. It had grown quite uncontrollable in the past week and she really didn't want to slap him across the head no matter how much he deserved it.

"I want to talk to you."

"We already did that." He flipped the page.

"No you talked and then ran off before you could listen to a word I had to say."

Silence.

"I don't understand why you won't let me even expl-"

"If you do I'll forgive you and end up torturing myself for the rest of my life!" This yell echoed through the empty gymnasium. He was looking up now eyes flat and mouth grim. He was crumpling the pages of the book she noted wearily.

She told him.

He glared at her before tossing the book aside and getting ready to stand up.

"Why?"

He looked up again, this time resignedly, "Why what?"

Hitomi licked her lips and her eyes didn't meet his as she asked nervously, "Why in God's name, do you think you love me?"

He sat back down, this time choosing to lean against the bleachers. "Who said I thought I loved you?" He asked, seemingly casually.

"Yukari. Van... you."

"I never sa-"

"Were you jealous of Van?"

Silence.

"Did you really think I like him?"

"In your own way, you do."

She shook her head, "No see that's where you and the rest of them are wrong. Why must you assume that a boy I find annoying I must also love? Simply because no other boy I know irritates me? Why must Yukari assume that because I love you, I'm _in love_ with you? Why does it always come back to that?" She walked towards him and kneeled besides him.

"I..." He stared at her, not moving, not blinking. Not understanding a word of what she was saying. As usually he thought wearily. He never knew what she was saying. "I don't know." He finished dejectedly.

"Why do you love me?" She repeated softly, this time meeting his gaze, more confident because he was floundering. If she could make him see he didn't love her she was home safe. "I'm difficult. I don't encourage you in any way. I dislike most men. I don't flirt. I'm not very pretty. I'm egoistical and above everything else I'm not in love with you."

"You forgot cruel." He snapped.

"I assumed that was a given." She replied with the faintest of smiles.

He let out a breath, trying to remember all those reasons he knew he had. "I feel you understand me. And I understand..." He trailed off.

She was laughing.

"And you understand me?" She asked not very nicely.

He nodded, unsure what was happening.

"I was right. You are in need of disillusionment." She still sounded amused. "What do you understand about me? You don't know a thing about me." Her smile was crooked, cruel and oddly aimed not so much at him as herself.

Knowing that this was an argument he would lose, he snapped, "I tell you everything. You're the one who acts like this! Is that my fault?"

"No." She admitted, no longer smiling, "You tell me everything Dilandau. I know every problem you've ever had. Helped you as much as I can. And you don't know mine." She paused and leaned forward, and placed a hand on his shoulder. "My point is, you tell me, but I'll never tell you."

"Why?" He asked not without a touch of desperation.

She seemed to understand how loaded that single question was, because she replied with a look perfect sincerity. But the answer was worthy of the Mad Hatter. "Because she's right; I am just like her. I am my mother's daughter."

She saw his confusion and the smile returned. That crooked, cruel smile that seemed to hurt her more than it hurt him. "I'm a bitch." She said by way of explanation.

She was standing up.

To leave.

That pushed him out of the muddled state he was in. He grabbed her arm, wanting to tell her to wait; to tell her that the conversation wasn't over.

Later when Yukari cornered him, he would defend himself with that truth. He'd grabbed her arm and lightly pulled her back only to talk to her. To ask her what that meant. Hadn't her mother died? And what her mother had to do with anything really.

He would say that all said and done, he wasn't the one who straddled the scorned best friend. Nor the one who started that kiss.

He may have participated fully after a millisecond of shock but he did not start it.

Really, he reasoned, what possible good could come from ending what he was sure was the only kiss he was going to get from Hitomi Knazakhi?

And there was of course the fact that he quite thoroughly enjoyed the way she was clutching his hair and that she didn't, as he feared she might, break away when his hands cautiously encircled her waist.

In conclusion he liked the fact she was kissing him. Unabashedly, with no qualms- as far as he could tell- and energetically.

He proceeded to make it an excellent kiss, deciding that if Hitomi never told him any of her secrets, she owed him. And thus it was not morally reprehensible that he use this rare opportunity to fulfil any fantasies he may or may not have been experiencing every time he saw her.

It was at around this time that Fanel walked in.

Dilandau saw him first and knew that the moment the idiot spoke, it would end.

True enough the moment Van opened his mouth Hitomi broke away, turned her head with this expression of growing horror in her eyes. The moment she saw him, she jumped up.

Dilandau let her up knowing that all good things had to come to an end. But this attempt at taking his ill-fortune as it came did not stop him from glaring at Van.

It was only the when he observed that Van looked very, very annoyed that he stopped glaring. Now he smirked.

When Van had muttered those bizarre words and stomped out, Dilandau merely raised an eyebrow at Hitomi.

"Not running after him to explain?"

She gave him an annoyed look and said, "Like I owe him an explanation. I was surprised."

Her feet itched to follow Fanel.

"Then why did we stop?"

She rolled her eyes, "Dilandau, was there even an iota of attraction?"

He watched her adjust her skirt with an unreadable expression. She knew. She now knew how he felt. And she was convinced it wasn't real. So he answered truthfully though it would have been easier to lie.

"Yes."

She looked surprised, "Really?"

"You seemed to enjoy it." He pointed out dryly.

"I'm a hormonal teen age girl. And you're a good kisser. But I didn't feel anything besides what a hormonal teenage feels when being pleasantly snogged."

"Why thank you." He said hollowly.

She sounded exasperated as she said, "You honestly want to do that again?"

A slow grin crept onto his face "Most definitely."

"So, if we were to do that again, it would be... just that right?" She hoped she wasn't being too vague.

But he seemed to understand what she was saying because he sat up straight and replied with frustration, "No thank you!"

She narrowed her eyes at him, "Look I know you think you like me-"

"Hypocrite." He murmured.

"What?"

"No one's allowed to tell you what you're feeling but you're allowed to tell me?"

"I'm not trying to tell you what you're feeling..."

"No you're dismissing my feelings all together. Which is much worse."

She sat down again; he noted with dismay that this time it was at a good, _safe_ distance. "But we've discussed this. How can you even think you like me when you don't understand me?"

He took a deep breath, "If you could acknowledge that I love you, instead of telling me how I'm '_in need of disillusionment' _and how I _'think I like you'_ we'd get so much farther with this."

The silence was uncomfortable.

"Do you believe me?" He asked, watching her face carefully.

She looked worried. He would have laughed if he wasn't sure it would make her clam up. Who looks this worried when being told that someone loves you?

"So if I were to accept that you like me, flawed as I am, we could be friends?" She asked with hesitation.

Hitomi Kanzakhi, that's who.

A momentous occasion very rarely actually happens within a single moment.

So Dilandau could not say that when he saw her in that moment, looking a little pale and pained but still hopeful he finally understood Hitomi Kanzakhi.

No, the understanding of Hitomi was definitely 'momentous' and in keeping with the above maxim, it require an accumulation of information and corollary epiphanies over a period of time.

However he could with certainty say that he understood her a little better.

So he replied with all the regret and pain unrequited love brings, "If you really do, we can."

* * *

The car door slammed shut. An action that indicated annoyance on the part of the slammer.

But, no Van wasn't just annoyed. He wasn't merely irritated, exasperated or pissed off.

He was furious. She was _infuriating_. He had been wrong when he'd said that a fitting description of Hitomi Kanzakhi required a new word.

Infuriating would do just fine.

He leaned against the car and glowered. How dare she kiss the boy she claimed with all her heart- he now seriously doubted she even had one!- not to love! Did she know what it did to a person? To be kissed by someone you can never have? To be straddled?

Oh God...

'_Straddling._'

It amazed him how much he'd come to hate that word in the space of ten minutes.

Who straddles someone?

"Van, are you alright?"

He turned his head slightly to find Yukari peering at him over the hood of her own car.

"You!" He said his voice laced with menace. He rounded on her eyes flashing dangerously. "Do you know what your heartless best friend is doing right now?"

Yukari shook her head silently, afraid that an actual reply might upset whatever little, delicately balanced self-control Van currently possessed.

"She's busy kissing Dilandau!"

Yuakri had sense. She'd stop her. Van knew he could depend on her.

"She is?"

He nodded and was about to agree with everything she was sure to say about how reckless Hitomi was, when he heard a laugh.

"No?" Yuakri was asking him... gleefully? "She actually made that much progress? And I thought I'd barley convinced her to get on the bandwagon."

Van spluttered considerably. Mostly because his thoughts were moving exactly like this:

'_Wagon. = A four-wheeled cart, often rectangular, drawn by horses. = Horse = A solid hoofed plant-eating domesticated mammal with a flowing mane and tail, used for riding, racing, and to carry and pull loads. It is domesticated and saddled = **STRADDLING!**'_

It may be only about as coherent as a politician sprouting civics but it still made him near yowl "Straddling!"

Yukari gave him a look and he saw her hand creep to the handle of her car door: she undoubtedly thought he was unhinged. Van tried to take a calming breath and look less like a nutter.

Please note; he succeeded, not at all.

"I don't know what straddling has to do with anything." She paused and watched with bewilderment as he choked; seemingly on air since he was certainly not eating anything.

Her eyes narrowed shrewdly as something clicked. She said with the air of one attempting an experiment, "Straddle."

His began to cough.

"Str-aaa-ddle." She tried it slowly this time wondering if speed and pronunciation would provoke different responses from the subject

"Ukh!" was the only sound that escaped him, but he looked like he was going to pop a vein.

Despite wondering whether or not she could kill him with one word and passionately wanting to find out, she decided to save this interesting bit of information for the future.

"What I meant was, I'd just gotten her to sort off admit she loved him." She proceeded as if she hadn't just been practically torturing him.

"WHAT?" He shouted, looking a little less like a psycho, but very affronted.

Interesting, effects were short term. Her fingers were itching to whip out her little notebook and begin a log.

He practically ran towards her, "She didn't actually admit she loved him?"

"Well not really. But she went after him didn't she?"

When he let out a sigh of relief she gave him a suspicious look. "Why do you care anyway? Didn't you just ask Merle out today?"

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"Well seeing as you just asked someone else out you have no business getting upset because Hitomi's busy kissing someone."

"It isn't like that." He said quickly.

"Uh-huh. That's what I used to think." She gave him a once over, "Van Fanel, you have powers I never thought possible."

"Huh?"

The power to deceive me."

"Hardly a power."

She ignored this and rattled on, "Never in my life has a person going through emotional turmoil been anything but transparent to me. You succeeded where hundreds have failed."

He merely looked at her with what she felt was unwanted haughtiness.

"You say what you want. But I know what I know." She turned and started to get into her car.

"I said nothing." He pointed out.

"You didn't need to." She told him, "For despite your brief success you are now like the rest. Totally transparent."

"Of course I am." He acquiesced. "And where are you going?"

"Well home obviously. I was waiting for Tomi, but if you're right, she won't be out for a while." She smirked.

Van shuddered, trying and successfully failing to block out images of what Yukari was implying.

She suddenly looked serious, "And Fanel."

"What?"

"If you're the reason it doesn't happen between them I'll hurt you."

He rolled his eyes, "It isn't going to happen, and it'll have nothing to do with me. Wait and see. And what could you do anyway?"

She looked at him thoughtfully, shrugged and took her car out.

He watched her drive away with a frown and began to walk back to his car when he heard her call his name out.

He turned around to see that Yukari had stopped twenty meters away and stuck her head out of the car.

"What is it?" He called.

She grinned, "STRADDLE!"

He convulsed and may have collapsed.

Yukari didn't wait to see. She chuckled in a sinister manner and drove on.

* * *

A black town car drove down a considerably nice street. Despite this niceness, the passenger of the car; a lady of uncertain age in a charcoal dress that bespoke all that was fashionable, studied her surroundings with a frown.

"It's a nice area madam." The chauffeur piped nervously. "Better than the last house."

The woman pulled out a longish cigar and lit it, giving no indication that she had heard him.

"It is the house at the end of the street. The one with the stone wall." The chauffeur continued.

She rewarded this by saying in a bored voice, "Park on the street, I doubt I'll be allowed to stay for too long. Especially if only Hitomi is at home."

"Your son," The chauffeur ventured carefully, "usually comes home earlier on Fridays. Seeing as it's after seven, I'm sure he is at home."

She eyed the man in the front seat as she considered his words. He had his uses she supposed.

"I assume it is mere coincidence that you decided to 'show me the house' on the same day Momaru happens to come home early?" Her voice indicated no amusement, but her mouth, quite like her daughters', expressed more than she would have wished. Currently, it told one that she was feeling a sort of cynical amusement.

The chauffeur drove on, his face giving nothing away, "You are in luck madam."

"You do keep an eye on them?" Still amused, but the question held more weight than she let on.

The chauffeur knowing this, stated calmly, "I manage madam. It is often difficult seeing as Sir insists on driving himself and Miss travels mostly with her friends. They do not acknowledge my position as chauffeur. Only once has Miss ever asked for me. To pick her up from the air port after a school trip- she said. They are very... obstinate."

She snorted, "I don't doubt it. I imagine they weren't happy when they heard I wanted to meet them this Sunday?" She let out a puff of smoke.

She had not failed to notice all the information he had given her with just a few carefully worded sentences. He had his uses indeed.

He hesitated and then admitted, "Sir asked if you could be fobbed off."

She smirked, "Then how ideal that I happen to be passing by."

The car pulled along the sidewalk a moment later. The chauffeur jumped out and hurried to open the door for the woman.

She got out and ordered, "If you are kept waiting for more than fifteen minutes drive around the block for however long is necessary. I really can't have the traffic police descend on me."

He inclined his head, "Of course madam."

She walked past him and on reaching a wrought iron gate paused when she saw two cars in the driveway. Only the lightest flicker of irritation was seen before she schooled her features into one of mild interest.

The gate was pushed open and she walked in, moving at a sedate pace so that an inspection might be made.

The house they'd chosen was a pleasant enough affair she supposed. There was a lawn of happy proportions and the driveway looked well enough. The house, though not grand, looked comfortable, with two floors and, she saw with slight amusement, a flat roof.

When they had lived together- the children and herself- every house they'd occupied had possessed that exact kind of roof. She'd held parties often.

Someone was clearly clinging to days of yore.

She found herself at the steps of the front porch, but before she could mount them the door was wrenched open and shut just as quickly. The only difference was that a very angry teenage girl was now glaring at her.

"What the bloody hell are you doing here?" her daughter without preamble.

She did not move her hand still rested on the banister. She watched her daughter with a distanced sort of fondness.

"Well?"

She smiled charmingly, "Hitomi darling, as lovely as it is to see you, I think I've raised you better that that. To hurl questions in that crude fashion while your guest is left standing on your porch is just not done." She surveyed her daughters attire, "Also, navy blue becomes you even less than that horrid haircut."

Her daughter let out a sound of extreme irritation but before she could retort in kind Mrs. Kanzakhi began to climb the steps, remarking nonchalantly "It is good to be home."

"Oh no!" Hitomi said, "I have company. There's no way you're coming in."

Her mother, now on the porch gazed up at her daughter indulgently, "Of course I am darling. I have yet to see Momaru."

Hitomi froze as she heard the door open behind her.

"Tomi, Momaru's asking what's taking-" Merle trailed off when she saw that Hitomi was with someone.

"Merle!" Hitomi said with forced cheer as she spun around. "Tell him I'll be there in a minute. This lady just got lost. I'll just finish telling her how to get back to her hotel and I'll be right in."

Merle whose shrewd eyes did not fail to notice the constraint Hitomi was very badly concealing, the sardonic look the 'lost' woman was giving her, also did not fail to notice the striking resemblance between the two.

She murmured something and turned back into the house. Hitomi didn't say a word until the door was shut soundly.

She rounded on her mother, "You will leave." Her voice was steady, "The both of us will meet you on Sunday, _as was decided_." She emphasized the last part with a glare. "If you come here just one more time before that, I'll-"

Her mother let out a soft, dangerous, tinkle of laughter, "Don't threaten me dear. You've learned everything you know from me. I hear you're quite the little leader in school? Well it's in your blood darling. Kanzakhi women were always strong. I ensured you'd be no different."

The insult though well disguised was as carefully aimed and it made Hitomi's eyes snap. She took a step forward and breathed, "If you come here ever again, I will call the police whatever Momaru says."

Hitomi pushed the door open and it took all her strength not to turn around and break her mother's nose when she heard her recite lightly:

"_Love is my sin, and thy dear virtue hate,  
Hate of my sin-"_

Instead she managed to bite out;

"_Hate has burned a gaping hole; __The rancid reek of charring flesh  
Is dancing on my very soul. And as the rising fumes enmesh  
My crumpled heart, I play the role Of a crabby lass, cursing off  
A diatribe; bleeding out a Bitter part: an ugly twisted girl." _

Her mother sounded amused as she said, "Oh I see you remembered."

Hitomi choked, "How could I not?"

"You were always a clever thing." Her mother agreed. Her eyes narrowed and she said with some malice, but more terrifyingly in the tone of woman who believed her own words, "'An ugly twisted girl' darling? But then like mother, so is daughter. Which is really ideal don't you think?"

Hitomi answered this by slamming the door shut.

It was petty, but more importantly rude. And she had the satisfaction of knowing that nothing annoyed her mother more than someone lacking manners.

* * *

**Hey.**

**So here's another update as promised. The calls for the evil mother from hell have been answered. Be thee satisfied? If so- review. If not- review. Give me feedback and convince me I'm not boring you to tears.**

**LLL**

**M.S.**


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